


Love Finds You Unexpectedly

by OlicityAddicted



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - No Vigilante, Cheating, Eventual Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, F/M, Happy Ending, Mentions of PTSD, Minor Injuries, Protective Oliver Queen, Sexual Content, Smut, They fall in love pretty quickly, Voyeurism, it's a brief scene and everyone involved knows about it, olicity - Freeform, the cheating is not between Oliver and Felicity, this is not slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:42:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29804490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OlicityAddicted/pseuds/OlicityAddicted
Summary: After finding out that her boyfriend Cooper has been cheating on her, Felicity feels the need to get even. She wants to have sex with another man. The only thing is that her boyfriend wants to watch.Oliver doesn't hesitate to accept the proposition made to him by the couple, but he doesn't accept just because the woman is beautiful. He wants to make sure it's a situation she's walking in willingly.As the night proceeds, Oliver and Felicity find themselves feeling emotions they've never felt before.Or, Cooper wants to watch Felicity and Oliver sleep together, but he's an ass so he's kicked out of the room, the couple spends an amazing night together, and eventually they will fall in love.
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 172
Kudos: 271





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am with another fic! I wrote this one a while ago and wasn't even sure if I was ever going to publish it, but I've put a lot of work behind it and decided to share it with you.
> 
> I hope you will give it a try!

Felicity takes a sip of her club soda and looks around the place.

It’s Friday night and Verdant is packed with people of all kinds. From men in their late forties who look way out of place, to some underage kids that probably sneaked in with fake IDs.

Felicity is still mastering the ability to avoid eye contact with strangers, but so far she’s been able to subtly take in the people surrounding her without them noticing. She has yet to find the person that could help with her ‘experiment’, when a hand clasps firmly around her arm.

She immediately recognizes the hand touching her and, somehow, she’s able to cover up her annoyance at his manners. Placing her empty glass on the counter, Felicity turns around just as Cooper starts to drag her away from the bar and through the dancing crowd.

“I’m still able to walk by myself, you know.” She’s not really able to hide her irritation, but at least he loosens the hold as he leads her toward the exit. Or that’s where she thinks they’re headed, she’s too busy looking down where she puts her feet to avoid getting stepped on by the drunk mass dancing around her.

“I’ve found him.” Cooper tells her.

Felicity tenses slightly at his words. She doesn’t know what kind of person he found and it sets her on edge. Is it one of those drunk, barely legal guys who are looking for fun? Or one of the older men with an indentation on the finger where a wedding ring is supposed to be?

Before her mind can conjure up ‘what if’ scenarios, Felicity feels eyes on her. For the first time since they started to walk, she raises her head to glance around but no one is looking at her. At first, she thinks that maybe she’s imagining it, but then her eyes fall on the tall man just to the side of the bouncers.

He’s staring at her.

When their eyes meet, Felicity stops right there, in the middle of the dancefloor.

He’s gorgeous. He has short dark blond hair and a perfect jaw covered by a trimmed beard. Through the moving crowd, she gets a glance of the dark pants he’s wearing, along with a light blue shirt and a black leather jacket. But what really keep Felicity’s attention, are his eyes.

Even from several feet away, she can feel the intensity of his blue eyes as they take her in.

On the other side of the dancefloor, Oliver can’t help but admire the beautiful woman looking at him.

Ever since the younger guy pointed at the blonde woman, his eyes never left her. Oliver had watched her from afar, curious about the way she warily looked around. Is she even aware of the offer her boyfriend just proposed to Oliver?

Then they started to walk in his direction, and when she noticed him, she stopped in the middle of the dancefloor, just staring at him. Now, he takes his chance to really look at her.

Her blonde hair cascades around her shoulders in soft waves. The simple black dress she’s wearing hugs her curves perfectly, showing her fit body. He can tell she’s petite, even if she’s wearing high heels. And the delicate features of her face show little to no make-up, except for a bright red lipstick.

She’s beautiful.

Her boyfriend gives her a little tug to make her walk again, and Oliver’s eyes zero in on the hand gripping her arm. He can’t help the frown that shows on his face, or the way his hands clench at his sides. It bothers him that anyone would be this rude with their own girlfriend.

When they almost reach him, he tries to clear his face of any anger he might feel. He doesn’t want to scare her, and when she stops a couple of feet away from him, she seems nervous.

“This is my girlfriend.” The guy, Cooper, says. He looks at the woman with a smug grin on his face as he tells her, “He agreed to take part of it.”

Right, ‘their experiment’. Oliver isn’t sure if he believes the younger man. The story he told him… It just doesn’t sit right with him and he feels the need to make sure everything is alright.

Pushing that aside for the moment, Oliver holds out his hand, giving her a small reassuring smile. “Hi. I’m Oliver.”

She takes a step closer to him, causing her boyfriend’s hand to fall from where he was still holding her, and takes his hand. It seems so small and fragile engulfed in his, that Oliver doesn’t even shake it, he just holds it for a few seconds while he stares into her eyes.

“I’m Felicity. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Oliver.” Her voice is quiet, but he can see a glimpse of determination in her eyes.

He’s about to ask her if she wants something to drink, hoping to be able to talk to her alone, but Cooper steps almost between them, causing their hands to fall from the other’s hold.

“So, now that the presentations are done, we can get out of here.” He says excitedly. “I’ve booked a room for tonight at the best hotel in town.” The guy winks at him. “You know which one.”

Of course, he knows which one. Oliver is the owner of the best hotel in Starling City, the best in the entire country according to many people and magazines.

Knowing he’ll have better chances to talk to Felicity in private at the hotel, Oliver points at the exit. “I’ll lead the way.”

→

Felicity tries not to fidget. She’s in the elevator of the nicest hotel she’s ever been in, with Cooper on one side, and him on the other. Him. Oliver.

She glances at the two men and Felicity can’t help but find them complete opposites.

Cooper just wants to have fun and doesn’t care about taking any kind of responsibility. He’s still the immature young boy she met four years ago.

On the contrary, Oliver is the definition of man. He’s focused, quiet and serious, and only said a handful of words in the last hour. She can’t blame him for that, knowing what happened to him years ago.

Of course, she knows very well who he is. Back at the club, it took her only a moment to recognize him after her shock wore out.

He’s Oliver Queen, former playboy who went missing after a boat accident five years ago. He was rescued after three years from his disappearance, and rumors say he’s been alone on a deserted island for that time. It’s only logical that he’s not a man of many words.

He’s also not in the public eye as much as before, preferring a small role in his family’s company, led by his mother after his father’s death, and he mainly focuses on being the manager of this wonderful hotel.

As she’s lost in her thoughts, Oliver takes a chance to really look at her. She’s biting her lower lip, her hands unconsciously straighten invisible wrinkles on her dress as she subtly glances between him and Cooper. She’s even more nervous than earlier, which makes him sure of the decision he made when he accepted to tag along with them.

The elevator chimes and it brings them back to the present. Cooper exits first, headed to the suite Oliver insisted on reserving for them, instead of the other ordinary room Cooper booked fifteen floors down. For some unknown reason, Oliver wants to give the best he can offer to Felicity.

They’re both still standing in the elevator, Oliver extends his arm toward the hallway and the other hovers close to her lower back, a silent invitation to go before him. Felicity gives him a small smile and steps out.

When they reach the door, Cooper is already in and Felicity can’t help but look around the enormous room Oliver picked.

The light is soft, there’s a king-sized bed, a round dinner table with two chairs facing each other, and a small sitting area with a couch, two armchairs and a coffee table in front of a fake fireplace. It’s like a mini apartment.

The floor-to-ceiling windows show the incredible view of the city below them, lights shining bright against the dark of the night. The hotel is one of the highest buildings of the area, so the absence of curtains won’t be a problem, even for what’s about to happen. Their privacy won’t be violated.

“It’s beautiful.” Felicity murmurs before she even realizes it.

“It’s our honeymoon suite.” Oliver’s voice is deep next to her, and it sends shivers down her spine. Maybe because she didn’t expect him to hear her words. Yes. That’s definitely the only reason behind her reaction, nothing else.

Felicity shakes her head to get rid of that line of thought before she faces him. She’s wearing heels and he’s still so much taller than her, but his imposing figure doesn’t make her uncomfortable. Quite the opposite, it’s reassuring. He might be a stranger, but, somehow, she feels safe around him.

“You didn’t have to.” Felicity tells him sincerely. “The other room would’ve been fine, really.”

“It’s not a problem, Felicity.” He replies with a gentle smile.

She looks so vulnerable right now, Oliver has to put his hands in his pockets to stop himself from reaching out to her. He wants to reassure her that everything will be alright and she doesn’t have to worry about anything, but he can’t do that with her boyfriend still in the room.

Unaware of his line of thoughts, Felicity has to force herself to look away from his blue eyes and those small dimples that make him look even more handsome.

When she steps further into the room and takes a look around, Felicity almost gasps at the wide mirror next to the bed that only now she can see, and it takes her a moment to realize that it’s actually the wardrobe’s sliding doors that are made of mirrors. Felicity isn’t sure why such an ordinary thing makes her heart beat faster in her chest.

“This is exactly what we needed!” Cooper’s voice diverts her attention from the mirror, and Felicity sees him next to the dinner table, pouring champagne in a glass.

Only now, she notices that the table is covered with petals of red roses, there’s the empty champagne bucket full of ice next to the other glass, a bowl of strawberries and another one of melted chocolate. There’s no doubt this is the honeymoon suite.

Seeing this as his opportunity, Oliver clears his throat, causing Felicity to turn back to him, where he’s still standing next to the open door. “I would like to talk to Felicity for a few minutes.” He says, never taking his eyes away from Cooper and when the other man just nods, Oliver adds, “Alone.”

His voice sounds restrained, but Oliver doesn’t care right now, and Felicity can’t give it much thought because Cooper is already next to her, glass and bottle still in hand, glaring at Oliver. “What? Why would you want to talk?” He almost shouts. “There’s no need for that, I already talked to you at the club and you were okay with it. Now, let’s get-”

“You said what _you_ want from tonight.” Oliver interrupts him, before his eyes find hers again. “Now I’ll need to talk to Felicity about what _she_ wants. Alone.” He looks back at the younger man. “So, if you would step outside for a few minutes…”

They both can see that Cooper wants to fight him on that, but he can’t come up with any argument. After a moment, he just scoffs and walks outside, murmuring, “Whatever.” While taking a long sip directly from the bottle.

Oliver softly closes the door, turning around to look at her with a small smile.

Felicity can’t help but notice that he’s doing that a lot. Smiling at her. Back at the club when they shook hands, when she stepped out of her car and he took off his helmet after parking his bike, in the elevator, after her compliment on the room, and now as he slowly approaches her.

Felicity has seen pictures of him, pictures taken after his return from the island, and he never seems to smile. He’s always serious or, when he does smile, it’s one of those posed pictures for some event.

For some reason, the smiles he gives her seem different, almost… real. They don’t look fake or forced, but sincere. Felicity remembers only one picture where he smiled like that, and it was with his little sister. She hopes he doesn’t see her as a little sister too, otherwise what they’re about to do will be awkward.

Oliver takes his time to walk to her, gauging her reaction to him, but she doesn’t seem scared or uncomfortable, only a little nervous. When he reaches her, he indicates the sitting area. “Please, Felicity, take a seat.”

She sits on one side of the couch, crossing her legs. She suddenly feels the need to fidget, but she left her purse in the other room Cooper booked, so she finds herself fixing the hem of her dress, before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She has to clasp her hands together in her lap to stop the nervous fidgeting. She almost expects him to sit right next to her on the couch, instead he chooses the armchair close to her.

Oliver shrugs off his leather jacket and places it on the back of the armchair, before sitting. He leans forward, bracing his forearms on his knees and clasping his hands together. After only a moment to gather his thoughts, Oliver focuses back on her. “You can relax, Felicity.” He tells her softly. “I can see you’re nervous, but you have no reason to be. I promise.”

She huffs out a soft breath, before smiling shily at him. “Is it so obvious?” He simply nods. “I’m sorry, it’s just… This is new for me, I’ve never…” She trails off when she can’t bring herself to say the actual words.

“You’ve never been with a stranger?” Oliver asks gently. “Or that your boyfriend wants to watch us?”

There, he said it. The truth of what tonight is all about. “Both.” She finally breathes out, casting her eyes away from his intense look.

“Felicity… I wanted to talk to you alone, because I need to know if you’re consensual and he’s not forcing you into some sick fantasy of his.” He says in an even voice, asking her the one thing that’s been bothering him since Cooper approached him at the club.

When his words finally register in her head, Felicity stares back at him with a frown. “What?”

“I need to know if you want this.” He explains. “I’ve heard of couples who do this, watch their partner have intercourse with a stranger for the excitement… But I’ve also heard of men who force women in situations like this to satisfy their sick fantasies.” Oliver leans down a little until he’s eye level with her. “I just find it suspicious that Cooper is the one who approached me, explained what his plans were while you stayed at the bar, looking around a little lost and unsure, while at the same time avoiding other men’s eyes.”

She has no idea how he noticed all of that in the five minutes it took Cooper to find him and talk to him, but Felicity understands why he must have thought all of that. His reasoning makes sense.

At her silence, Oliver continues. “If you tell me that this is not what you want or that you didn’t choose this, I can have him arrested for coercion-”

“No.” Felicity says, moving her right hand to cover his forearm in reassurance. “No, he’s not forcing me. I’m the one who suggested about tonight.”

Oliver’s eyes never waver from hers, trying to understand if she’s telling the truth. He thinks that’s honesty he sees in her eyes, but maybe Felicity is saying what she thinks he wants to hear. Or maybe she’s afraid her boyfriend will retaliate if they don’t go through with this. Before he can ask her a question, Felicity starts to explain the situation to him.

“Cooper and I, we met at MIT, and we’ve been together for four years. At first, we were happy, but with time problems started to arise and we slowly fell out of love. It surely didn’t help when almost a year ago I found him in my bed with another woman.” Felicity tries to keep her voice steady, unsure of what Oliver might think of her after he knows everything.

“I’m not sure why we didn’t break up then, but we stayed together, even if I didn’t trust him anymore and knew he was still cheating on me.” She sighs. “If I have to be honest, I suspected it for a while, especially after my friend told me she saw them hugging a little too tightly than necessary outside Carrie’s apartment. Carrie is the woman.” She quickly explains. “Anyway, a week ago I found him in bed with her again. So, I finally decided to break up with him, and I told him so, but he had this whole speech where he said that he only did it for us. That it was what we needed to find the spark that was missing in our relationship. And… he suggested that maybe if I watched them it would’ve been enough to spice up our sex life, and our relationship in general.”

Oliver watches as Felicity briefly stops to take a breath and glance at him. He notices apprehension in her eyes, which he hates to see and doesn’t understand why she would feel like that, but he knows that she’s not done with her story yet.

“So, we did. I mean, Cooper and Carrie did it, they had sex and I assisted.” Felicity shakes her head. “I can’t even say it was humiliating because I honestly didn’t care anymore. Whatever there was between us, it was over and I finally accepted it, but…” She hesitates just a moment before admitting the truth. “For some reason I wanted to get even.” Felicity’s eyes find his again. “I told him I wanted to have sex with another man.” Felicity stops talking and takes a deep breath.

For a few moments, Oliver sits still, just watching her, taking in everything she just said. He doesn’t have any right to think the way he’s thinking, but he hates that Cooper ever treated her like that and he just wants to punch the guy. Even if their relationship shouldn’t matter to Oliver, it still angers him that Cooper even proposed to Felicity to watch him and the other girl. Doesn’t he have some respect for her or what they supposedly have?

The more Oliver thinks about it, the more he’s sure Felicity is telling him the truth. Tonight was her idea, and she wants to sleep with him. It might be some kind of revenge or maybe it is to spice up her and Cooper’s relationship, but he’s positive that Felicity wants to have sex with him because she really wants to.

As he’s thinking through it, for Felicity the silence is unbearable, and she feels the need to fill it with another one of her rambles. “Uh, I should also mention that I work under you- _for_ you. I work for you, at your company, Queen Consolidated.” Her free hand gestures around them, pointing at the building visible in the distance through the window. “I mean, I guess it’s more like your mother’s company, because she’s my boss. Actually, I think she’s my boss’s boss. I work in the IT Department, I almost never leave my office, there’s no way you’ve seen me around during the little time you spend there. Though, I did fix your mother’s computer a couple of times, so I’ve been in her office. I saw the picture she has on her desk, the one with you and your father. I always thought you looked cute, even if a little serial killer style in that specific-”

She continues to ramble nervously, until Oliver covers her hand that is still on his forearm since she reassured him that she wasn’t forced in this. His touch causes her mouth to close shut. Her eyes land on their hands, marveling at the contrast of his on top of hers. His hand is big, rough and so warm. Hers is small, delicate and a little cold.

“I’m sorry he treated you that way.” Oliver says softly and honestly, ignoring the rest of her ramble. “He’s an idiot for neglecting someone like you.”

Felicity looks up at him, and he knows she can see the sincerity in his eyes. During his pre-island days, as much as he regrets it, he had cheated on his girlfriend, so Cooper cheating on her is familiar to him. But somehow, as he’s trying to comfort her, he also feels the need to apologize for his past mistakes.

And Felicity knows all of this. She heard about his past, he was always on tabloids’ first page because of his behavior, but after his return, there were no articles about him cheating again, or about him having a relationship with someone for that matter. Obviously, Oliver has changed, grown up and realized that what he did in the past was wrong. It’s clear to see in his blue eyes.

“Thank you.” She finally replies, accepting both his comfort and his apology.

“Thank you for being honest and telling me your story. I’m glad to know tonight was your idea and not a twisted game of his.” Oliver tells her honestly. “I agreed to come with the two of you for two reasons, the main one being that I wanted to make sure you were in this willingly. If you weren’t, I would’ve stopped him from getting you hurt.”

“Oh.” Felicity didn’t expect something like this, and only now fully realizes how it must have looked in his eyes. His concern, and dare she say protectiveness, takes her by surprise. Then she frowns, thinking about what he said. “Wait, what was the other reason?”

“You’re stunning.” Oliver’s voice gets deeper all of a sudden, unable to hide his attraction. “You’re so beautiful, and, other than making sure you were consensual, I wanted to be the one to have the fortune of spending the night with you. If you still want that, of course.”

Felicity inhales sharply at his unexpected words. She isn’t sure what she thought he was going to say, but this? This is definitely unexpected. She has no idea how long they just stare at each other, breathing unevenly, until she realizes her hand is still covered by his on his arm and she feels electricity pass between them.

On the other side, Oliver is very much aware of their hands still touching. He also can’t help but notice the way Felicity’s eyes darken as she stares at him.

“If you want to get out of here, is perfectly fine, Felicity.” He reassures her.

“I don’t want to leave.” She says without hesitation.

He gently squeezes her hand and tilts his head toward the bed. “What do you say then?” He breathes. “We show him how it’s done?”

Once again, he surprises her, and Felicity can’t help the quiet laugh that escapes her lips. She closes her eyes for just a moment, and when she opens them, Oliver is still looking at her with the same expression. There’s desire and anticipation in his eyes, and she’s sure the same is reflected in hers.

Because yes, she wants him. And she wants him now.

“Let’s show him.”

→

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got to admit... I was a little worried about the plot being a little weird, but I'm glad to see people are interested in the story!
> 
> Without wasting more time, let's dive into the new chapter, where things start to get hot!

Oliver stands from the armchair and drags his feet to the door.

He’s looking forward to spend the night with Felicity, but he’s not very fond of the idea of doing that in front of her boyfriend. Or, apparently, her ex-boyfriend. She seems like a nice woman, and he honestly has no idea how she’s still with an idiot like Cooper. But he’s the last person who can say anything about love, since he was an idiot himself years ago.

Oliver doesn’t have the best track record, and he knows that if he could go back in time, he would do things in another way, make different choices. He would try to be more mature and responsible. But what happened in the past cannot be changed, so he’s trying to be a better person now.

Which is why he had felt the need to talk to Felicity before anything happened. Oliver is fully aware that years ago he would’ve jumped into the situation without any thought, only eager to get laid. Of course he would’ve made sure she was consensual, he always did, but he wouldn’t have questioned the reasons behind the couple’s weird request.

He was a jerk, but he’s not like that anymore, and he’s proud that the man he is today is actually responsible and thinks about what others want, not just what he wants or needs.

He has to admit that Felicity’s confession, that tonight was her idea, it surprised him. She’s not a woman who likes to share or be shared, that is clear to see, but after hearing about everything Cooper put her through, all the lies and the cheating… Oliver understands. He understands that she wants to take some kind of control after being left in the dark, after finding out that her relationship with the man she thought loved her, was all a big lie.

Right now, she’s lost. The only thing she knows is that she wants this night with someone else, someone that is not the man who lied to her and made her suffer.

Felicity wants this with him, so, tonight will be about her. Oliver is going to make sure she’ll be comfortable and, by the end of the night, utterly satisfied.

The moment he opens the door, the idiot, because that’s what Oliver is going to call him from now on, walks past him with an annoyed huff. The bottle of champagne is almost empty in his hand, the glass probably discarded somewhere outside. Oliver takes a moment to close the door again before walking back to the sitting area and he frowns at what he sees.

Felicity stands from the couch, staring at Cooper as he unceremoniously drops the bottle on the table before reaching for his belt. “Alright, let’s do this.” He says unzipping his pants. “You know where to begin.”

He points at the floor in front of his feet and Felicity knows he wants her to kneel. Her brows furrow together at his order before she takes a step back from him, unconsciously closer to Oliver. “Cooper, what are you doing?”

“I’m taking off my pants,” he says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, “how can you suck my dick if I keep them on?”

Before Felicity can say a word, Oliver takes another step forward, moving in front of her. He lifts a hand in front of him before saying, “This is not what we agreed on.”

Cooper’s eyes widen with excitement when an idea seems to form in his mind. “We can have a threesome!”

“What?” Felicity asks in shock. He already mentioned a threesome when he first told her he wanted to have sex with Carrie in front of her, but she made it clear it was not something she was comfortable with. And now he brings it up again, with the difference that she’d be even more vulnerable since it would be with two men. Well... One man, Oliver. And Cooper, who is... whatever. Still, it’s not what she hoped would happen tonight.

And Oliver can see all of this in her worried expression. This goes beyond anything they’ve discussed, and her uneasiness is palpable. Trying to put an end to the conversation, Oliver announces, “I don’t share.”

That isn’t completely true. He participated in a few threesomes in the past, and did share his conquest of the night with someone else, but this isn’t going to happen tonight. Not with Felicity involved. He doesn’t want for anyone else to touch her, let alone someone who doesn’t even respect her.

No. It’s not what Felicity wants from tonight. And it’s not what Oliver wants. He’ll take her far away from this guy if it means she’ll be comfortable again.

But the idiot doesn’t take the hint and just goes on with his brilliant idea. “We can fuck her together. It will be so exciting!” He looks at Oliver with a disgusted face. “But keep your dick away from me, I’m not gay.”

“Trust me, I’m not into that stuff. But this was not the plan.” Oliver’s voice is firm. “It’s going to be only me and her.”

“Come on!” He insists. “I want to have some fun too.” Cooper says in a ridiculous, childish voice.

“You had your fun with Carrie.” Felicity replies, and she couldn’t hide the note of anger in her voice even if she tried. “And I sat there watching, because it was what you wanted. Now, _you_ are going to sit, while I enjoy this night. With Oliver. Only me and him.” She echoes his words from just moments ago.

The way she says his name makes him want to take her right there where she’s standing, but he ignores that need. Instead, he nods to what she just said. “Yes, the agreement was that me and Felicity spend the night together. You were never involved in this.”

“Just watch us. _Let’s do it for the thrill, babe._ ” She says while looking straight at Cooper. The words he said to her the night he proposed she watch him with Carrie, spat back at him with so much venom.

Oliver has to fight the smile from showing on his face at her feistiness.

Cooper huffs in annoyance again. “Whatever.” He grabs a chair, places it next to the bed and sits on it, a hand slipping inside his pants. “But I won’t just watch.”

Oliver looks back at Felicity, an eyebrow raised in silent question, showing her that he can fight the idiot over it, but she just gives him a shrug.

“I don’t care.” She says only for his ears to hear.

He stares into her eyes and makes sure she’s okay about it. Felicity must know what he’s thinking because she gives him a nod while smiling.

Oliver ignores the man behind him as he steps closer to Felicity. His right hand ghosts over her arm and goosebumps rise on her skin. He repeats the motion with his left hand, causing the same reaction while her eyes flutter shut, a trembling breath escapes her lips.

He wants to kiss those red lips, but he tells himself not yet. Instead, he takes her hands and guides them around his waist, while his own hands spread wide against her back and between her shoulder blades.

Oliver leans down until his lips graze the shell of her ear, right where she has an industrial piercing. “You smell really good.” He whispers only for her, and Felicity actually shivers against him.

“You too.” She swallows hard when he lightly nibbles at her earlobe.

“If at any time you feel uncomfortable, you tell me and we stop.”

She nods slowly with a distracted, “Uh-uh.” The attention he’s giving her already set her body on fire, and they’ve barely even started.

Oliver walks her backwards, until the backs of her knees touch the mattress. Her hands grip his shirt when he starts to lie her down and then scoot her up to the middle of the bed. He lies almost entirely on top of her, keeping his weight on his forearms, while his leg presses right against her center.

Felicity breathes out a very soft moan, barely audible even to him, and when she briefly glances at the other man in the room, Oliver is sure that she won’t be able to concentrate if she thinks about him on that chair.

So, he switches sides, covering her visual of the idiot. “Focus on me.” Oliver whispers into the hollow of her throat. “It’s just me and you, Felicity.”

She shudders when he says her name. She never thought someone could ever utter her name with so much desire in his voice. She does her best to focus on him, on his hands caressing her body, on his lips barely grazing her skin and the overall pleasure building up only from the anticipation she feels.

His left hand slips under the hem of her dress, and his fingers gently graze the top of her thigh. His erection is right against her side, but Oliver restrains himself and doesn’t move. He has the feeling that the idiot only cared about himself and never bothered to really pleasure her, so Oliver will make sure to take care of her first. He’ll make her his priority many times tonight.

When he wraps his right arm around her, Felicity’s hands run over his back until one hand rests between his shoulder blades and the other threads through his hair. She can feel his hot breath on her neck, his lips leaving small kisses wherever he can reach. Under her hand she can feel his muscles flexing at each movement he makes, and she has no doubt he’s well-built.

Oliver traces the line of her underwear, causing her to slightly buckle against his hand, looking for the friction she needs, and he doesn’t waste any time to push them to the side and brush against her opening. When he feels she’s already wet, he slips a single finger inside. Her walls clench around him, as she barely tenses up, but immediately relaxes and leaves out a breathy sigh.

Felicity is lost in the sensations he’s making her feel. His lips on her skin and his finger inside of her, giving her so much pleasure with simple touches. She has no idea how he does it, but he’s making her feel so good, that until seconds ago she couldn’t even remember what it meant to be taken care of. He’s awakening parts of her she forgot existed.

His movements are slow, a simple in and out, but Oliver feels her heartbeat accelerate under his lips when he starts sucking on her pulse point. The hand in his hair keeps him in place, a sign that she clearly doesn’t want him to move from her neck, and when Felicity grips his bicep with her free hand, he adds a second finger and picks up the pace. Oliver presses the palm of his hand against her sensitive clit, making sure to put pressure on it every time he moves, and her legs start trembling.

She’s already close. He’s barely touched her and she’s already coming undone. It makes him wonder… How long has it been since the last time she had the release she obviously needs? How long has it been since another man made her orgasm? How long since she had to take care of herself because her partner was so selfish to leave her unsatisfied?

Those thoughts make him double his efforts, curling his fingers inside her wet heat, looking for that sensitive spot that can make her reach her high. When he feels Felicity clench around his fingers with a surprised gasp, her legs close around his hand, the hand in his hair grip him almost painfully, and her breath stutters… When he helps her reach that point of no return, Oliver presses hard on the spot and gently bites down on her neck.

And just like that, Felicity trembles through her orgasm. The sensation is strong, and she holds on to him for dear life as her body shakes, pleasure enveloping her like a blanket. For those moments, Felicity doesn’t think about anything. She just feels.

She feels the warmth spreading between her legs. She feels the blood rushing through her body. She feels her heart beating wildly in her chest. She feels Oliver’s comforting weight on top of her.

He’s making her feel amazingly, and Felicity enjoys every single moment.

She doesn’t moan out loud. Oliver knows she’s trying to keep everything in, probably because the idiot is there and she’s somehow embarrassed to scream, but Oliver can feel it’s an intense experience for her.

Her grip on him doesn’t falter, she holds him while arching her back to get close to him, her harsh breaths are warm against his collar, and the shivers running through her body take a long time to stop. Actually, they don’t stop at all, they just slowly lose intensity until there’s a small trembling in her legs and her walls faintly clench around his still moving fingers. His pace is slow, lazy, but he can’t seem to stop until Felicity lies back on the mattress again and loosens her hold on him.

She opens her eyes when Oliver pulls his fingers out of her, instantly feeling the loss of him. His hand rests on her hip and he leans back to stare down at her. Her eyes find his, her heavy eyelids struggling to stay open, but Felicity needs to look into his blue eyes. Blue eyes that now are darker than before as he stares at her, something close to pride and possessiveness in them. Felicity doesn’t mind it at all.

In her eyes, Oliver can see the pleasure she just felt, and maybe even a hint of anticipation for more. He can’t help but think that she’s even more beautiful like this. The blue of her eyes almost completely hidden by the black of her pupils, her lips slightly parted to catch her breath, her breasts rise with every breath she takes and brush against his chest. The left side of her neck is an angry red from his kissing and a severe case of beard burns, but he can’t feel guilty about it because it feels right.

She looks thoroughly ravished, and he feels a sudden urge to claim her and make her his. He’s never been this possessive with a partner before, not with the one-night stands, and not with his ex-girlfriends. But with Felicity… With her it’s different. She’s different.

They don’t know how long they stay like that, with their eyes staring into the other’s, but it’s not long enough, because then an annoyed huff comes from the side, breaking the spell.

“Alright, you showed off.” Cooper says, and when Oliver barely glances at him, his arms are crossed against his chest and he looks angry. “Whatever, now get to the main part.”

Felicity closes her eyes in an effort to block him out. That’s just typical of Cooper. Ruining a good moment because he needs to be at the center of the attention.

Watching her as she keeps her eyes closed, Oliver is about to ask her if she’s okay, but then the other man stands from his chair.

“Lose the clothes and just fuck her.” He almost shouts. “I don’t understand why you aren’t screwing her already!”

The moment Felicity opens her eyes, Oliver closes his. He takes a few deep breaths to keep himself calm, because if he were to give in to his instinct, he’d punch Cooper until he won’t be able to speak for a long time.

Felicity can see signs of rage on Oliver’s face. She knows it’s not directed at her, but she feels the need to calm him down. The moment Felicity’s hand cradles his cheek, Oliver carefully disentangles from her and stands in front of the other man.

Feeling uncomfortable to just lay in the middle of the bed, Felicity moves to the side until she’s sitting on the edge. She suddenly realizes that they’re both still wearing their clothes, and somehow she hasn’t lost her high heels. She brings herself to focus back on the scene in front of her.

“This is not going to work.” Oliver says slowly.

Cooper scoffs. “What? Too difficult to get it hard?”

“That is clearly not my problem.” Oliver points out.

Without thinking, Felicity’s eyes glance from one man to the other. The bulge in Oliver’s pants is very visible, while Cooper shows no sign of excitement, like most of the times. Felicity bites her lip to prevent a giggle from escaping her mouth, while at the same time she tries her best to not roll her eyes at the absurd ‘mine is bigger’ contest going on in front of her.

Oliver doesn’t really care about the other guy’s inability to get an erection, the only thing he cares about is that he won’t let this idiot make Felicity uncomfortable. “When I accepted this, I didn’t know there would be a live commentary.” Oliver says, not caring if his annoyance is audible in his voice.

“You don’t like to have a public?” Cooper asks. “You knew I was going to be here.”

“But no one said anything about your participation.” He replies calmly. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but when you slept with that girl, in front of Felicity, I don’t think she mentioned doing anything other than watching.”

Oliver can see the man trying to reply, but he doesn’t know what to say as his mouth opens and closes a couple of times, but no word passes through his lips. So he pushes on. “And from what Felicity told me, the real problems between you two started when you cheated on her, without Felicity present in the room, and without her knowledge.”

Cooper frowns at him as Oliver takes a step closer to the man, a challenge in his eyes along with resolution. “So, I think what you both need… Is for Felicity to cheat on you. Without you in the room. Only me and her.”

Silence surrounds them for long instants, making Felicity think that maybe Oliver finally made Cooper realize what kind of situation he put them all in.

That is until he starts to laugh maniacally. “You’re joking, right? Come on, we all agreed that-”

“He’s right.” Felicity finally speaks up.

Oliver looks back at her. She’s still sitting on the bed, and there’s something in her eyes that was already there before but now it’s unmistakable. Something that looks like hope and anticipation. Maybe even desire.

“It all started when you first cheated on me, Cooper. Or rather, when I first caught you cheating on me.” She continues, rising from the bed to stand next to Oliver. “This is what I need. Not another fantasy of yours to fulfil.” Her voice doesn’t leave any room for argument.

Cooper’s face gets redder and redder, and when he takes a step closer to Felicity, Oliver steps in front of her. “You can leave now.”

Cooper’s eyes dart from him to Felicity a couple of times before he shakes his head with a grunt. He walks to the door and slams it open, not caring about closing it again.

Oliver walks to it and stands on the threshold until the idiot is in the elevator. Only when the sliding doors finally close Oliver goes back into the room, locking the door for good measure. He takes a breath and runs a hand through his hair, before he turns around and walks back to Felicity.

She sits again on the bed while releasing a deep sigh. “Thank you.” Felicity tells him softly. “And I’m sorry about him-”

“Don’t apologize for him. It’s not your fault he’s a jerk.” Oliver reassures her.

“Yeah. I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that.”

Oliver sits next to her on the bed and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Maybe you tried to hold onto someone you hoped would change. In better, of course.”

“Yeah.” She says with a sigh. She shakes her head to get rid of any thought regarding Cooper and smiles at him. “What you did earlier… That was really nice.” A flush slowly rises from her chest and tinges her cheeks red. “Well, it was more than ‘really nice’.”

Oliver can’t help but smile back at her. “I’m glad I could make you feel that way.” A few short moments pass in comfortable silence, before Oliver gets serious. “He never touched you like that, did he?” When she looks up at him with wide eyes, he shakes his head. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that, it’s too personal.”

“No, it’s okay. I… Was it obvious?” She asks with a frown. She knows her sexual experience is limited, she’s been with only two men in her life, well three counting Oliver, but she didn’t think it might be an issue.

“It’s nothing you have to be ashamed of, Felicity. It’s just that…” Oliver lifts a shoulder in a shrug. “I barely touched you and you came in no time. It made me think.”

Felicity blushes once again. “Yeah, well… To answer your question, no, he never did. We pretty much never ventured further from missionary. And he was never able to make me… you know.”

Now Oliver is the one frowning. “He never made you reach an orgasm?” She shakes her head no. “Never?” Another negative shake. “Then how did you…”

“I took care of it myself. Or, most of the times, I just faked it.” She confesses with a rueful smile. “And it’s been a long time since the last time, so...”

“How long has it been since you two had… If you don’t mind me asking.” Oliver’s words are out of his mouth before he can even realize it, but Felicity doesn’t seem bothered.

“I’m not sure.” She thinks about it for a moment. “I caught him with Carrie almost a year ago, but we stopped having sex before that, because we had other problems. His inability to get an erection in my presence didn’t help with that.” Felicity quickly glances at him before adverting her eyes. For such a long time she thought she was the problem. “Miserable, uh? I still kept him in my life even if I knew he wasn’t attracted to me anymore and I didn’t trust him. Didn’t even love him anymore.”

“Hey.” Oliver cradles her cheek and makes her look back at him. “You’re a beautiful woman, Felicity. It’s not your fault if he was unable to do that.” His hand slips down until it rests on her shoulder and gently squeezes it. “Also, I think it’s completely normal to keep close people that in our mind we associate to family, home or just part of our everyday life.”

“It makes sense, but I wish I could go back to last year and leave him after that first disappointment.” Felicity says quietly.

He thinks about it. “I’m really sorry he made you suffer, but those experiences you went through shaped you into the person you are today. And I like this person.” She gives him a tiny smile, which encourages him to say the next words. “Had you left him then, you wouldn’t be here with me right now.”

Felicity turns to look up at him. Oliver stares into her eyes and Felicity watches in fascination as they become darker and darker, the blue reduced to a thin line around the black. Her breath stutters when the meaning behind his words finally registers in her mind, and she glances down at his lips.

“If you want…” He starts to say. “You can stay in here. The room is booked until tomorrow at noon. And no one will bother you.” He licks his lip and forces himself to continue. “I can leave you alone, though if I leave now and find Cooper still around, I might kick his ass.”

Felicity quietly laughs at that. “As much as I find that visual appealing… I would like for you to stay.”

Oliver releases the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“And I would like to continue what we started.” As the words leave her lips, her hand falls on his thigh, so close to his crotch. She knows it’s a bold move, but she wants to make sure he knows exactly what she means.

“You sure?” There’s no way he can misunderstand that, but Oliver still checks, and Felicity is already nodding in confirmation.

“I want this. I need to live this night on my terms, free of any thought or worry and lie.” She gently squeezes his thigh. “And I would like to spend it with you, if you still want that.”

He knows she can still see the tent in his pants, but Oliver nods anyway. “I would love to spend the night with you.”

→

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know. It's mean to cut right there, but I promise to update very soon!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get hotter and hotter in the honeymoon suite!

Felicity turns her body until she’s completely facing him, his left hand is still on her shoulder and it slowly travels up to cup her cheek. The hand she has on his thigh reaches for him, but Oliver gently grabs her wrist to stop her and places her hand on his side instead.

He lifts his free hand to cup her other cheek, and while he cradles her face like the most precious thing he’s ever held, Oliver glances down at her lips.

Felicity wonders how he was able to pleasure her like that without even kissing her once. Sure, he made out with her neck, the slight stinging from his stubble is still there, but he hasn’t kissed her lips yet. Unconsciously, Felicity licks them, causing his eyes to look at the motion, and, feeling a little bolder, she bites her lower lip. His eyes widen almost imperceptibly, but the darkening is very visible.

Oliver stares in fascination at her bitten lip. It begs him to be freed. His thumb traces her bottom lip until he’s able to pull it from her teeth. Only seconds after, Felicity wraps her lips around the tip of his thumb. The image in front of him makes him twitch in his pants and he swallows hard.

That’s how he breaks. It’s like the cage holding in his control shutters in a thousand pieces, freeing the beast inside it.

Still cradling her face, his hands pull her to him until his lips rest against hers, his left hand disappears in her hair and he tugs it lightly. Felicity responds with equal fervor as her arms wrap around his shoulders to keep him close.

Apparently, that isn’t close enough for Oliver, because he wraps his right arm around her waist and makes her straddle him. His arm is like an iron band that doesn’t let her move away from him. Not that she’d ever want to do that, she’s perfectly comfortable where she is.

Felicity moves her hips, grinding against him, his hard length brushes exactly where she wants him, where she needs him, and it makes her open her mouth with a gasp. Oliver takes advantage of her parted lips to slide his tongue inside her mouth, and when it meets hers, Felicity isn’t able to control the low moan that comes from the back of her throat.

Oliver relishes in the sound, hoping to hear it often throughout the night. He doesn’t stop for a second his assault, nipping at her plump lips, his arms tightening around her waist to keep her close, but still careful not to hurt her.

Felicity already feels breathless, her core aches with want, and her heart beats fast in her chest. The sensation is unexpected. Oliver’s kisses are nothing she ever experienced before. They are insisting, powerful, and yet so tender. It’s a contrast she can’t comprehend, but the heady sensation makes her pull slightly away from him to rest her forehead against his as her hands cup his cheeks. Felicity feels his breath against her heated cheeks, her nails lightly scratch his stubble and it makes him growl.

Oliver lets her catch her breath, while his hand finds the zip of her dress on the back and he pulls it down. He thumbs the straps on her shoulders and helps her to pull them down too, until the dress rests around her waist. She forewent the bra, and now she’s sitting on his legs bare from the waist up.

His fingers trace up her spine, causing shivers to run through her body. His eyes drop only for a moment to take her in and when he looks back up at her, he whispers his next words. “You’re gorgeous.”

The longing she can hear in them takes her by surprise, and Felicity knows there’s a blush covering her from the chest and up to her cheeks.

Her hands drop to his shoulders and she realizes he’s wearing too many clothes. With unsteady fingers, she undoes the buttons of his shirt, and when she’s done, she pushes it down his arms until Oliver is forced to let go of her for a few seconds to remove the piece of clothing. Once that is out of the way, his hands find her waist, and he stares at her, waiting.

When Felicity looks down, she immediately sees the defined muscles that adorn his upper body. As much as she can appreciate the sight, what really makes her breath stutter are the scars that cover his chest. She can recognize a burn on his right pectoral, a few cuts on his shoulders, one above his abs, another deep one on his lower abdomen, a bite mark on his hip that disappears under the waistband of his pants, and many smaller scars all over his chest and arms.

Oliver waits patiently as Felicity takes in the sight. He never talked to the press about the scars he got on the island, not because he was ashamed of them, but because they would’ve just asked questions over questions that he didn’t think needed an answer. He was stranded on a deserted island and had to survive. While doing so, he received some scars, that was the whole story. It was his story, and only a handful of people knew about it. He doesn’t mind to add Felicity to that list. He feels like he can trust her.

Felicity takes a couple of moments to just look at them, and sadness replaces any emotion she was feeling seconds ago. She might not know him very well, but the signs of past pain on his body make her feel bad for whatever he’s been through. Felicity feels the sudden need to hug him, and tell him that everything will be fine.

“I can put the shirt back on if they bother you.”

Oliver’s voice is calm, and it makes her look up at him. His face is serene. He doesn’t seem ashamed of them, and he shouldn’t be.

Felicity clears her throat. “The island?” She asks as her fingers lightly skim over the burn mark.

He nods, never looking away from her. “The boat sinking, the raging weather, the wild animals… It wasn’t so easy to survive.” That’s all he’s comfortable in sharing for the moment, as he tries to not completely ruin the mood.

When it’s clear that he won’t elaborate on the subject, Felicity nods, hoping it’s enough to show him that she understands, both what he’s saying and what he’s not. She understands that he had to fight in order to survive, he had to find some kind of shelter or maybe even had to build one himself. He had to protect himself from the wildlife, and hunt in order to eat. He had to adapt to the new and foreign environment he found himself in, and he did. He survived, and then came back home. He came back a different man, physically, but also emotionally. That much is clear to see.

Felicity has no idea how he was able to survive all alone for three years, but she admires his strength, and that’s what his scars show her. His strength. Before she can talk herself out of it, Felicity leans down and replaces her fingers with her lips, leaving a soft kiss on the marred skin.

It makes him close his eyes. His chest brushes against her breasts as he takes a deep breath, making them both moan at the contact of the naked skin.

Felicity cups his cheeks again and kisses him with all she has. The kiss is hurried and sloppy, but she doesn’t care, because Oliver kisses her back with the same energy, the same passion, that it makes her hold onto him tightly.

Oliver wraps his arms around her, and suddenly she’s lying on her back, his hands push her dress down her legs as much as he can without leaving her mouth. At some point, he has to interrupt their kiss to pull it off of her completely, along with her heels, leaving her only in her underwear. He crawls back to her, kissing her again, once, twice, then he pushes on his elbows and looks down at her.

“If that idiot never touched you, I can only assume he never went down on you.” He says evenly.

Felicity breathes out a soft huff. “The thought disgusted him.”

Oliver frowns on top of her. “It’s one of the most beautiful things a man can do for a woman.”

“You’ve met him. He’s always been selfish.” She reminds him with a shrug.

“But earlier he didn’t seem disgusted to ask you a blowjob.”

“You’re very perceptive, Oliver.” She smiles up at him. “But no, it never bothered him to put his half-hard dick in my mouth.” When Felicity realizes she said the words out loud, she covers her bright red face with her hands. “I’m sorry, I’m ruining the mood.”

Oliver quietly laughs at her reaction to her own words. She obviously didn’t mean to say them, but he had already figured out that was the kind of situation she had to live for a while.

When she mumbles something incomprehensible, his hands wrap around her wrists to remove her hands from her face. “Felicity, you’re not ruining anything.” The moment she opens her eyes, Oliver smiles down at her. “Let me show you what a man can do for you.”

He waits for her nod, before he kisses down her neck, between her breasts, and over her navel. Oliver reaches for her panties and tugs them down her legs, leaving her completely bare for him. He quickly glances up at her, before his mouth descends on her core, causing her to suck in a deep breath. His hands grip her thighs to keep her legs spread open for him, as his tongue laps at her slowly.

Soft moans leave Felicity’s lips without her consent, and when he sucks on her clit the moan is so loud it echoes in the room. Her right hand covers her mouth to muffle the screams, while the left grasps the bedsheets.

“Hey.”

Oliver’s voice makes her open her eyes and look down at him. The sight of him with his head between her legs is enough to cause another quiet whimper.

His hand gently takes hers and removes it from her face. “I want to hear you.” He tells her throatily. “Don’t hold anything back.” Without waiting for a reply, Oliver dives back in, his tongue faster than before as he doubles his efforts.

This time she wouldn’t be able to hold back even if she tried. Felicity is sure she’s never made these sounds, not with her previous boyfriends, and not when she spent some time by herself. She’s always felt self-conscious about how loud she can be in bed, almost embarrassed to be heard like that in a moment of vulnerability. Because she knows, that the minute she gives herself completely to someone else, she’s making herself vulnerable, she’s at their mercy. And she’s not comfortable with that.

But then again, her past lovers never made her feel like Oliver does. Felicity realizes that she doesn’t mind to be seen like that by him. She doesn’t mind to be vulnerable for Oliver, because she knows he won’t take advantage of her temporary state of weakness. That’s why tonight her moans are loud and almost deafening, and Oliver isn’t bothered by them, on the contrary, they seem to urge him on.

He enjoys hearing her screams of pleasure. They vary from moans, to things like “Right there,” or “Do it again,” and “You’re so good at that,” until she starts to beg him with repeated “Please, Oliver.”

He’s happy to oblige to whatever she asks him to do, following her needs to make this the best experience he can possibly give her.

For Felicity, the feeling of Oliver’s tongue is a new sensation, one that she knows can be addicting with time and she enjoys every second of it. She memorizes the way his tongue moves against her, how his stubble deliciously scratches her thighs, the way his lips wrap around her clit, how his breath against her sensitive sex makes her shudder. Felicity tries to hold onto everything he’s making her feel, because she doesn’t want to forget the wonderful things Oliver is doing to her. What he’s doing _for_ her.

She isn’t sure how much time he spends just licking and sucking and kissing, but she knows that soon, way too soon, she’s pushing her pelvis against his face while screaming his name.

“Oliver!”

He holds her tightly when her back arches off the bed, trying to get close to him as much as she can. Her hands grip his hair, never loosening the hold, while her feet dig into his back. Felicity trembles against him for the second time tonight, and as he helps her through the orgasm, Oliver promises himself that he will give her as much pleasure as he can the rest of the night.

Felicity takes a few minutes to get down from heaven, wondering how she’ll be able to survive when they’ll get to the main course.

As she catches her breath, she feels Oliver leaving small kisses on her legs and abdomen. When he reaches her breasts, he quickly, but softly, sucks on her nipples, making her gasp loudly at the heightened sensation.

When Felicity can breathe again and is sure she won’t pass out from the too much pleasure, she sits up on the bed as Oliver still kneels on the floor, his arms braced on either side of her thighs.

“Thank you.” Felicity tells him sincerely. “It was really amazing.”

“My pleasure.” It’s his only reply, a wide smile on his face. Her satisfaction, is his satisfaction.

She laughs softly at that. “Speaking of your pleasure…” Felicity grabs him by his forearms and pulls him up, before she takes his place on the floor. “My turn now.”

“It’s not necessary…” He reassures her, but she’s already shaking her head.

“You already made me orgasm twice, _twice_. I want to thank you accordingly.” She gives him an honest smile. “I want to make you feel good too. Besides, I have the feeling the night isn’t over yet…”

“We’re only getting started.” He replies immediately, and the intensity in his eyes holds the promise of more pleasure coming her way.

Felicity quickly unzips his pants and pulls them down, but before she can reach for his boxer briefs, Oliver puts a hand on her shoulder.

“I’ve got to admit…” He says almost shyly. “It’s been a while since the last time.”

Never before he felt embarrassed about something sex related, but he knows that he won’t last long. It hasn’t been five years, but the couple of times he had one night-stands after the island were meaningless quickies to relieve some tension. And they were months away from now.

“It’s okay.” Felicity gives him what she hopes is an encouraging smile. “Let me take care of you real quick, so we can be on the same page for the rest of the night.”

Oliver sighs. Of course she would understand.

He gives her a nod, and Felicity focuses back on getting rid of his underwear. She pulls them down until they rest around his ankles along with the pants, and the sight in front of her causes her mouth to drop open without her knowledge.

She should’ve known. Handsome, muscular arms, ripped abs. She should’ve known he was huge too.

His quiet laugh makes her look up at him. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”

Perfect, now she’s talking out loud again. And he’s smiling widely. The smug bastard. But he’s right at being smug, he should be smug about it. He is perfect and oh so hot.

Preferring to ignore the embarrassment of letting the words slip past her lips, Felicity nudges him to sit on the bed. Oliver follows her lead, sitting on the edge, and places his hands on the mattress until he’s leaning back a little. He’s giving her absolute control of the situation and Felicity appreciates it. She likes control, especially after leaving that to him earlier. Twice. Two wonderful times.

Felicity runs her hands on the top of his thighs, lightly running her nails over them, making him twitch at the sensation. His eyes stay focused on her face, and when she glances up at him her blue eyes instantly connect to his. Without breaking the contact, he feels her hand wrap around him, starting a slow motion of up and down.

For a few minutes that’s all she does, as their eyes never look away from the other’s.

When she tightens her hold, Oliver sighs as his eyes close briefly. His hands grip the bedsheets behind him, trying to hold on as much as he can. The feeling is too good. Ever so slowly, Felicity lowers her head until she’s only inches from him, then tauntingly licks her lips before slowly running her tongue over his length and takes him in her mouth.

She starts slow, but as soon as she takes him deeper, a strangled sound comes from the back of Oliver’s throat, and his right hand comes to rest on the back of her head as he lifts his hips to carefully thrust into her mouth. When Felicity grips him firmly at the base and hollows her cheeks, he closes his eyes and his head falls back in complete abandonment.

She’s used to stay still as her partner clumsily thrusts in her mouth for a couple of times before it all ends quickly, but with Oliver it’s different. Felicity is the one in control of the speed, as she sucks and runs her tongue over the tip or around the shaft, she can gently massage his balls to bring him more pleasure and make him shudder, and even if his hand is still on the back of her head and his hips rise from the mattress, he never forces her to take more than she wants, she’s still the one to control the depth.

And Felicity never thought it possible, but giving him pleasure is bringing her pleasure too. Her core aches with want, with the need to be filled, and the only thing keeping her hands away from touching herself is the thought of using them on Oliver, to touch him and squeeze him and give him as much as she possibly can. She tries her best to give Oliver a memorable night.

And she’s doing wonderfully so. He can’t remember a time when he felt anything like this. He’s not sure if it’s because of his abstinence, but it’s intense like never before. Most likely it’s Felicity’s skills that drive him crazy.

Oliver growls deeply when she increases the speed, her hand following the movement of her mouth as she tries to pleasure him as much as he had with her.

His breath starts to come out in quick pants, his groans get louder in the room and Oliver can’t keep still. “Felicity…” Her name on his lips, said with that tone of pure ecstasy and wonder, cause her to take him deeper and suck him harder. “Fuck, I’m so close…”

Felicity looks up at him, just when he opens his eyes again. She lets go of him just to whisper her next words. “Then come for me, Oliver.” She doesn’t waste any more time, and takes him again, with more purpose to give him his release.

It doesn’t take him long to close his eyes again and tighten his hold on her hair, before he tenses up and growls out her name. He’s completely still when he throbs in her mouth, and Felicity takes everything he has to give her.

Oliver abandons himself to the sensations. Felicity doesn’t let go of him even when he begins to relax and his breathing returns to normal. She just continues to lazily suck him, until he tenderly runs his fingers through her hair, looking down at her in wonder, before cupping her cheek.

When Felicity leans back and looks up at him, he’s smiling and Felicity can’t help herself from smiling back.

“That was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.” Oliver says honestly.

Felicity blushes as she adverts her eyes. “Now, let’s not exaggerate on that.” She tells him with a small laugh.

She doesn’t believe that she just blew his mind? No pun intended. Oliver needs the sudden feel to reassure her. She shouldn’t have to doubt her skills. She’s been amazing, and he feels the luckiest man on the earth to be the one who was on the receiving end of it.

With a soft pressure on her cheek, his hand turns her head to face him again. His eyes are intense and his expression shows no sign of joke. “I’m serious. You were amazing and I’ve never felt like this before.”

His words are honest and unexpected. Sure, it wasn’t Felicity’s first time, so she knows she’s not bad at it, but the others before him never appeared to be overly satisfied, so she thought about being only okay. His sincerity brings up something in her chest that she can’t understand. Felicity isn’t sure what the feeling is, but she can’t stay there, so close to him while they’re both naked and they’ve just…

She stands abruptly, taking a few steps away from him and suddenly aware of her state of undress. Felicity brings up her arms to cross in front of her chest as she looks around for… she doesn’t know what.

Sensing her sudden unease, Oliver stands after her, tugging up his pants. He leans down to retrieve his shirt from the floor and holds it out for her.

“Are you okay?” He asks.

Felicity can hear the concern in his voice, which enhances the unknown feeling in her chest. She nods and gladly accepts the shirt, puts it on and keeps the ends close with her hands, not bothering with the buttons.

“Do you mind if we take a break?” She hates how her voice just trembled, especially because she can see Oliver is genuinely worried. He did nothing wrong, quite the opposite, but she can’t bring herself to actually tell him the words.

“Of course.” He replies with a nod.

Oliver doesn’t understand why she’s uncomfortable, but he doesn’t want to pressure her by asking right away. He can feel she needs some space or time, or both, and he’s going to give her that.

“I’ll just…” Felicity points at the bathroom door, before quickly walking to it, and closes it behind her with a soft click.

Oliver runs his hands over his face as he walks to the wide windows, looking out at the city lights in thought. He didn’t pressure her into anything she didn’t want to do, so he’s not afraid on that matter.

He thinks it must be something else, something that goes beyond anything physical. It’s in her head, probably something emotional. He never dealt well with emotional stuff, but he really hopes he can help her through it, if she’ll let him, once she gets out of the adjoined bathroom.

After closing the door, Felicity rests her forehead against the cold wood as she takes a few deep breaths. When she turns around, she barely notices the giant tub in the middle of the room, or the wide shower stall to her left. She steps to the sink and turns on the faucet to splash cold water on her heated face, tightly gripping the edge when her hands tremble. Feeling only a little bit like herself again, Felicity looks up to see her reflection in the mirror.

She’s flushed, the deep red covers her cheeks, her neck and down to the top of her chest that she can see from the open shirt. There are beard burns on her neck and around her mouth, and she’s sure, if the mirror went a little lower, she’d see them between her legs too. There’s only a little amount of smeared lipstick on her face and her hair is also a mess. She looks ravished and it makes her heart beat faster.

Suddenly, Felicity understands the strange feeling in her chest. She feels cared about. She feels cherished. She feels desired.

For the first time in her life, someone is able to make her feel like that. None of her ex-boyfriends ever took care of her, it was always about them and what they wanted. But Oliver… Oliver is the first person that thinks about what _she_ wants. He’s the first man to make her feel like a real woman, and not an object or a prize.

A complete stranger cares about her more than those people who claimed they loved her ever did.

Yes, just moments ago Felicity pleasured _him_ , but it was different from any other time as well. Those men barely gave a thought about her, and she did it only because she tried to be nice about what they wanted, but Oliver didn’t ask her a single thing. She gave him what _she_ wanted and it brought him over the edge, and from what he told her it was one of the best times.

For some reason, it makes her smile.

And when the feeling in her chest doesn’t go away, but only intensifies, Felicity is sure of one thing. She wants to take care of him too. She wants to make him feel cherished. She wants to make him feel desired.

Because that’s exactly what Felicity feels when she thinks about Oliver.

→

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know... I did it again. I promise next chapter will not end in a "cliffhanger"!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, this is the chapter! Enjoy!!

The images play on a loop in Oliver’s mind.

He can hear Felicity’s nervous laugh before he tells her how good she made him feel. He sees her put distance between them and try to shield her body from him. He listens as she asks him for a break before disappearing into the bathroom almost fifteen minutes ago.

Oliver thinks about that and what happened the moments before, but he can’t find a single thing that might’ve scared her, or made her afraid of him. Because the more he thinks about it, the more he’s sure that’s what the look on her face told him, that she was scared and unsure. She seemed comfortable with him the whole time, so it doesn’t explain why she ran from him so abruptly.

Yes, he thinks it must be something emotional rather than physical, but nothing concrete comes to mind, no matter how hard he thinks about it.

When Felicity opens the door, she finds Oliver looking out of the windows, his hands deep in his pockets. He slowly turns to look as she hesitantly steps out of the bathroom, a small smile on her face.

“Hey.” She whispers, adding a little wave with her hand.

“Hey.”

Felicity walks closer until she stops next to the dinner table. His shirt reaches almost the middle of her thigh and she had to roll up the sleeves a couple of times to keep her hands free. She left a few buttons open, and he can see she’s still flushed.

When it’s clear she doesn’t mind his presence, Oliver steps closer to stand behind one of the chairs and indicates the items on the table. “Do you need anything? I’m sure there’s something more to drink in the minifridge.”

Felicity sits on the other chair. “Some water will be fine.” She wouldn’t mind some red wine, but she wants to experience this night to the fullest, if Oliver is still up to it, and she needs a clear head.

Oliver heads for the fridge next to the nightstand, he grabs two bottles of water, before walking back to sit on the free chair. He unscrews the cap on one and pours some water in the only clean glass that’s still on the table. He hands it to her, which Felicity accepts with a small “Thank you,” before he unscrews the other bottle for himself.

He takes a few moments to just drink, before he places the bottle on the table and his eyes find her blue ones, which are already watching him. “Are you really okay, Felicity?” He asks in concern. “If I did something that bothered you, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“No.” She shakes her head while grasping his hand where it rests on the table. She won’t let him think he did something wrong for a second longer. “No, you’ve been wonderful the whole evening. It’s just… This is all new for me.” She sighs. “I told you I’ve never been with a stranger before. I had only been with men I dated before even thinking about taking the next step. You are basically a stranger to me, yet it all feels so much more.”

Oliver frowns at her words. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, that I can’t fathom the fact that you, someone I barely know, took care of me and made me feel important more than any men I’ve ever dated and even said that they loved me.” Felicity takes a deep breath and briefly closes her eyes, then she looks at him with an intensity that keeps his eyes glued to hers. “You made me feel like a woman, and not a piece of meat.”

“You are a woman, and you should always feel like that.” Oliver doesn’t hesitate to remind her. He turns his hand until he’s holding hers. “Felicity, you are a very beautiful and attractive woman, and any man should treat you with only care and respect. If that piece of garbage ever made you feel differently, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

Felicity nods and smiles ruefully at him. “Yeah, it took me a long time to understand that.”

A knock on the door interrupts them. Felicity tenses up, wondering if maybe it’s Cooper coming back for some reason. She’s not sure she could handle him right now.

Understanding her worry, Oliver squeezes her hand in reassurance. “It’s only room service.”

“Oh, okay.” Her whisper can’t hide the relief in her voice.

His hand tightens around hers one more time, before he walks to the door. He reaches into his pocket to give the young man his tip, thanks him, then brings the tray in.

“Your room service is rather quick.” Felicity notices. “I don’t think I’ve been in there that long.”

Oliver smiles at her as he places the tray on the table, then he sits again. “We have three kitchens, all on different floors. I don’t want to make the guests wait.”

She nods in understanding, looking at the fresh bowl of fruit, a plate with small chocolate cubes, a few packs of snacks, clean glasses and a new bottle of champagne.

Felicity shakes her head. “I can’t even imagine how much it might cost me to spend a night in this hotel.” Her eyes quickly find his. “I mean, if I have to pay for this room, I will. I’m not trying to get it for free because you’re here. I just mean that it probably costs more than I could I afford if I were to stay for more than just-”

“Felicity.” He gently interrupts her.

Oliver doesn’t mind her talking, he finds it pretty amusing how fast she can think and go from one topic to another, but he can’t let her believe that he’ll expect something from her.

“It’s okay. I made the reservation for this room, everything will be on me, don’t worry.” When she nods, he continues. “Though the prices are not as high as you might think. Yes, some rooms are more expensive than others, and this is one of those, but I wanted to make sure that anyone could afford a stay in my hotel, without repercussions on their bank accounts. It’s pretty affordable, despite the name.”

 _The Queen Hotel_. Pretty lame, yes, but he liked it and it had a nice ring to it.

Felicity nods at his words as her fingers trace the edge of the tray. “I think that’s wonderful, Oliver. Very thoughtful, and a good incentive to catch people’s interest.” She gives him a small smile. “You’re a good man.”

He hasn’t heard those words in a long time, and they bring up some kind of emotion that he had long forgotten. Oliver shakes his head and focuses on the woman in front of him.

“I can ask our chef to make something more elaborate if you’re hungry.” He offers, but Felicity shakes her head.

“I really appreciate it, but I’m not sure I could eat actual solid food right now.” Felicity says, before grabbing a strawberry from the bowl. “These look so fresh though.”

“Yes, our staff really searches for the best products.” Oliver gestures with a hand towards it. “Go on, help yourself.”

He watches in fascination as she wraps her lips around the fruit and slowly bites into it. Felicity closes her eyes and a small moan can be heard from the back of her throat. She nods in approval before taking another bite. A small drop of juice falls from the corner of her mouth, slowly trailing down to her chin.

It all seems so sexual.

Oliver is sure Felicity doesn’t even realize it, because she picks up another one and repeats the process, but to him is such a turn on. His hand moves before he can even process it, cupping her cheek as his thumb catches the drop, stopping it from going any lower.

Felicity’s eyes snap open the moment she feels his hand on her face. Her eyes find his, but she can’t help glancing down at his retreating hand. With slow movements Oliver brings the thumb back to his mouth to taste the sweet juice that escaped her lips.

It takes her only a second to understand that her innocent action of eating a strawberry didn’t look so innocent to Oliver. His eyes are darker and he doesn’t take them off of her, he barely blinks. Warmth spreads through her chest and her cheeks, a blush surely in place, and, without her knowledge, her lips part with a soft “Oh.”

Oliver just takes his time to study her reaction. He can see a glint in her eyes, and that’s when he knows she just made a decision.

With deliberate movements, Felicity grabs another strawberry and dips it in the melted chocolate, gives it a little twirl before bringing it close to her lips. Her tongue comes out to lick the path the chocolate is making down the fruit, then wraps her lips around it to suck the melted chocolate off of it. Her teeth dig into the soft flesh and then she swallows the bite.

Her taste buds explode at the flavor in her mouth, but it’s nothing compared to the look on Oliver’s face. That is what really drives Felicity crazy.

It’s only a few moments before Oliver feels himself hardening again, the reminder of what she did to him earlier with those lips stares back at him in the form of Felicity eating a fruit, which should be ridiculous but it’s actually a turn on.

Felicity leans closer to him, her hand with the half fruit raised in front of him as she places it against his lips. Oliver thinks only for a moment about eating it, but has other plans, so he gently pushes away her hand and stands to step closer to her. Her eyes widen when he’s towering over her, but he takes her by the arms and silently asks her to stand, which she does without hesitation before he leans his head down to rest his lips over hers.

The kiss is rushed, needing, and it feels amazing. Her lips part in a sigh, Oliver takes that to his advantage and slips his tongue inside her hot mouth. The taste of chocolate invades his senses.

His hand entangles in her hair, while the other gently rests on her lower back, bringing her close until she’s pressed against his chest. After only a moment when she can’t think straight, Felicity’s hands travel over his arms and then his abs, before she urges him to walk backwards, toward the bed.

When his legs make contact with the mattress, Oliver pulls back to look down at her, but even before he can utter a single word, Felicity quickly nods. He doesn’t need more than that to wrap his arms around her middle and hoister up, her legs circle his waist as he turns them around.

Oliver carefully places her on the bed, covering her body with his. With sure hands she reaches for his zip and pulls it down, undoes the button on top and then tugs at the pants. She frees him from the constricting items and grabs his hard length, pumping it a few times, marveling at the feeling of him so ready for her.

“Felicity…” He warns her. This time Oliver wants to last. He takes a hold of her wrists and places them next to her head, leaning down to capture her lips one more time. “I don’t want to rush it.” He whispers against her. “I want to take my time with you. Explore every inch of your body, find the spots that make you moan, take you to the edge before doing it all over again.” He watches as she gulps at his words, feeling a shiver run through her entire body. “But I can’t do that if you use these wonderful hands on me.”

She nods, a little breathless already. “I want that too.” Felicity can see in his eyes that he means every single word, and not for the first time tonight, she wonders if she’ll be able to keep up with him.

Oliver kisses her red lips again, before sitting back on his heels to undo the buttons of her, or rather his, shirt. When he reaches the last one, he pulls the sides apart, revealing the pale skin of her body. Leaning down, Oliver heads straight for her breasts where he takes one in his mouth and uses his fingers to pinch the nipple of the other one.

Felicity gasps at the action, her fingers trade through his short hair to keep him there, while her free hand runs down his back. She encounters many other scars that she has yet to see, and Oliver wonders again if he should’ve kept a shirt on.

But Felicity isn’t skipping over them. She runs her hand over the marks more than once, gently pressing on them for a few seconds, memorizing them. Felicity promised herself that she will make him feel cherished, like he did with her earlier, and that means she’ll show him that even the flaws on his body mean something to her and they don’t bother her. They’re still part of him, of who he is.

Feeling her hand press him closer to her chest, Oliver sucks hard on her nipple, running his tongue around it. It makes Felicity moan out loud as her back arches off the bed.

“Oliver… Not like this…” She breathes.

He releases her with a small pop, kissing between her breasts as he switches sides to give the same treatment. “Not like this what?” He asks between kisses.

Her hands cup his cheeks and pull him up, until he’s face to face with her. “Enough with the foreplay. I want to feel you inside me.” Her words sound like a command, but Felicity can’t bring herself to care at the moment.

She sneaks a hand between their bodies and grabs him again, bringing him closer to her wet heat, and Oliver barely has enough control to stop from plunging in. “Condom.” He hisses as he reluctantly stands from the bed. He walks to the sliding mirror, opening the wardrobe to reveal the gift set they leave for whoever stays in the room.

“Are you serious?” Her voice comes from right behind him and he only half turns to gauge her reaction.

“It’s our gift for choosing this room. It’s the honeymoon suite, after all.”

Felicity looks, with slightly widened eyes, at the basket containing condoms, furry handcuffs, lube and a few sex toys. Her eyes linger on the piece of paper that states _The Queen Hotel wishes you a memorable stay, enjoy yourselves to the fullest and always be safe_.

After the last few things she found out about this place, it shouldn’t surprise her so much that there’s a gift basket with sex related items, in the honeymoon suite nonetheless. Still, the sight of it and the thought of using them with Oliver suddenly make her heart speed up a little.

He grabs the box of condoms before facing her. “Find anything interesting in there?” He asks with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk.

Felicity shakes her head to clear her thoughts, glances down at his crotch and quickly looks up at him again, her cheeks redder than ever. “Nope. I think you'll be more than enough.”

She walks backwards, never breaking eye contact as she removes the shirt, dropping it to the floor. Oliver quickly closes the sliding mirror then follows her, shedding of his remaining clothes and shoes, and then he’s kneeling between her legs. He rips open the box and grabs a single foiled square.

“Thank goodness you’re a responsible manager who provides safety to his guests.” Felicity tells him as he opens the package. “I mean, I’m on the pill so we’re already covered on that, and I’ve never let Cooper do anything without a condom, mainly because I suspected the cheating. Though we haven’t had any kind of intercourse for over a year.” She says, during what she suspects it’s the start of another ramble.

“And I also know you regularly donate your blood through QC’s Blood Donation Initiative, which is a noble act, really. I donated too last month. It didn’t go very well since I hate needles, I kind of fainted a little, the guy poking me with that thing wasn’t very gentle… But I did it and I know I’m perfectly healthy. And that’s the point of this too long ramble, I know you donate regularly, which means you’re healthy too, or they wouldn’t let you-”

“Felicity.” Oliver whispers her name to calm her down. He can feel the nervous energy radiate from her as he leans over her body, condom in place, and cups her cheek with his hand. “Relax.”

He watches her as she closes her eyes to take a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He reassures her with a shake of his head. “Just tell me what’s bothering you.”

Her eyes open again and stare into his. Felicity lifts a shoulder in a half shrug. “I don’t know. I mean, I didn’t even think about using protection, because I knew we’re both safe and I’m covered. Regarding this kind of safety, I never trusted my exes after years of knowing them, yet I trusted you after only a couple of hours.” She breathes slowly through her lips. “I guess that thought threw me off a little.”

Oliver nods. “It’s alright. I’m safe, and you are too. But another precaution added to the pill can’t hurt, right?”

This time Felicity nods while smiling. “Yeah, that’s the better solution.”

He leans in to softly peck her lips, then looks down at her again. “It’s not the only thing that’s worrying you, is it?”

She opens her mouth to deny it, but she decides against it. There’s no point in denying it when it’s all written on her face. “You really are perceptive. How do you do that?”

He shrugs. “On the island I’ve learned to understand wild animals just by studying them and their behavior. Once home, I’ve found out that the same thing works for people. You just have to look close enough to notice details.”

Felicity’s expression softens and she gives him a small, shy smile. “Well, you’re not wrong. I am kind of nervous.”

“Will you tell me why is that?” Oliver prods gently.

A long sigh leaves her mouth. “Let’s just say my ex-partners weren’t so… They weren’t as ‘gifted’ as you are.”

Oliver chuckles softly. “I told you, Felicity, I’ll be careful. You don’t have to worry about it.” He can see her nod, but he continues. “You said you trusted me with our safety. Trust me on this too.”

Felicity doesn’t hesitate to nod again at his words, her hands cup the back of his head and pull him down in a kiss. He opts for slow and tender, tracing her lips with the tip of his tongue until she opens her mouth to meet him halfway. Their hands explore each other’s body, sometimes with a soft caress, others with a firm grip. He’s already settled between her legs as she wraps them high on his waist, causing him to brush against her center with every movement.

Oliver reaches between them and feels she’s wet enough, but still… “I can get the lube if you want.” He whispers without breaking the kiss.

Shaking her head, Felicity opens her eyes to look at him, her hands trace random patterns through his hair as she licks her lips. “I’m sure you can feel I won’t need that.”

At her nod, Oliver slides in slowly, watching carefully for her reaction. She doesn’t even tense up, Felicity just stares into his eyes as small gasps leave her parted lips, no sign of pain on her beautiful face. When he’s completely seated, he stills to give her time to adjust, but Felicity immediately starts to move her hips against him.

“That went much better than I thought.” She whispers.

Oliver chuckles and carefully starts to move. “I told you, you didn’t have to worry.”

Felicity nods and sucks in a breath when he slides in again. “It feels really good having you inside me.”

Oliver actually growls as a wave of possessiveness assaults him unexpectedly. “It feels good to be inside of you.”

“Good to know.” Felicity replies, just when she clenches her internal muscles around him, making him groan.

Oliver gradually picks up the pace, as his mind tries to memorize everything. How Felicity meets his thrusts. How she mewls every single time he gently bites on her neck. The way she gasps when he pounds harder. How her nails bite into the skin of his back when he pushes deeper. The way she throws her head into the pillow when he places her legs higher on his hips.

He can feel her starting to quiver, and Oliver is about to quicken his thrusts to make her come, instead Felicity pushes against his shoulder and he follows her silent command until he’s on his back and she’s straddling him.

She runs her hands over his muscles, tracing random patterns across his scars, before she places her hands on his chest for leverage as she lazily sways on top of him, trying to delay her orgasm as much as she can. Felicity stares down at Oliver, briefly wondering if what she’s doing is enough to give him pleasure. When she sinks down harder, she’s rewarded with a low grunt and his hands tighten on her hips. She does it again, and again, gaining the same response every time. It gives her a confidence that she never felt before, and the more time passes, the more she feels free to move as she likes and moan as loud as she wants to.

Oliver’s eyes never look away from her. She looks perfect. Her hair cascading around her shoulders like a blonde halo, her breasts swaying at every motion she makes, the flush covering the upper half of her body, her nails biting into his pectorals. But it’s the look in her eyes that really capture him. Felicity is enjoying every second of it.

Suddenly, Oliver has an idea and he carefully moves their bodies around the bed until he can see the windows behind Felicity. She frowns down at him, and he simply smiles at her. “Look up, Felicity.”

She looks up at the ceiling, not understanding, but as soon as her gaze falls on the mirror, which is now in front of her, she completely stills. She takes in the image in front of her. Her on top of him, the fine layer of sweat covering their flushed bodies, the illuminated city on the background.

Felicity never realized she had a thing for mirror sex, never thought it could be so hot to watch herself ride a man at her mercy. But then again, she never found herself in a situation where she could explore all of this.

Oliver’s hands rest on top of her thighs, his thumbs draw slow circles on them, just as he moves his hips upward. Felicity resumes to move, her eyes never wavering from the mirror.

“Look how beautiful you are.” Oliver urges her. “How strong you look, overpowering me. Taking what _you_ want. What _you_ need.” He knows, from the way she starts to frantically move, that she’s almost there once again. “This is what you are, Felicity. Beautiful. Powerful. The definition of _woman_.”

Her breath stutters as Felicity looks down at him. “Oliver…”

He tightens his grip on her thighs when he feels the beginning of her orgasm. “That’s it, Felicity. Let go.” Oliver thrusts up to help her reach that high. “Show me the woman you are. Be that woman for me.”

His words and the way he lifts his hips to enter her over and over again, are her undoing. With a loud moan, Felicity shuts her eyes tightly, as her walls clench around him, her movements fast and uncoordinated. She shivers as more moans leave her lips, a continuous trembling running through her entire body and legs that goes on for over a minute, until it suddenly leaves her spent.

Only then she collapses on his chest, her fast breaths hit his skin as his hands wrap around her back, where he feels her heart beat fast under his palm. Oliver can’t help the small kisses he presses against the crown of her head as she catches her breath, or the way his hands run over her back and through her hair.

After a few minutes, Felicity looks up at him and he smiles down at her. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She breathes back.

“Think you still have some energy for more?” Oliver asks her.

He’s planning to make her come at least another time, but he’s surprised with himself when he realizes that, if she tells him that she can’t continue, he won’t mind to go unfinished.

“Is there more?” She questions him, shocked.

She knows he hasn’t reached his climax, and wouldn’t mind to help him with that, but Felicity can hear the unspoken message that he’s not done pleasuring her yet. How could he make her come again after just giving her the best orgasm of her life?

Oliver breathes a quiet laugh as he nods at her question. “If you’re up to it.”

Felicity wiggles on top of him as she gives him a dirty smile. “Well, you certainly are _up_ for it.”

The way she says the words makes him growl, and with little to no effort Oliver turns them around until he’s on top again. He gives it a tentative thrust, causing her to part her lips with a small sigh. His fingers trace a light path along her sides, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. His hands gently grab her breasts, softly squeezing them.

“Oliver.”

Her breathy whimper makes him lean down to catch her lips with his. Felicity doesn’t waste any time and runs her tongue over his bottom lip, begging him to open up for her. He obliges, meeting her tongue with soft caresses.

His hands follow down her arms and entwines his fingers with hers, placing her hands next to her head. Oliver leans back, keeping her hands down, and thrusts hard, making her whimper.

“Oh yes, do that again.” She downright begs him. She doesn’t care if she sounds needy, but he’s making her feel so good and her body needs more.

Oliver repeats the action over and over again, and Felicity knows she could come just like this. Her legs are already quivering, but then he slows down and barely moves, to her disappointment.

He presses his chest against hers once again, his arms wrap around her back as he softly kisses her lips. “You said you never ventured further from missionary, right?”

“Well, being on top was a first.” Felicity confirms with a nod. Her hands run over his shoulder blades. “Though, I’ve got to admit, missionary with you feels pretty amazing.”

Oliver suddenly pulls out and Felicity groans in disapproval, making him chuckle. “Turn around.” His voice is a tender whisper, but he can see Felicity hesitating. “Trust me.”

She sighs, mumbling a soft, “I wanted to see you,” but she rolls until she’s lying face down.

Oliver kneels behind her, between her legs, and takes a hold of her hips until she’s standing on her hands and knees. He leans down, his chest pressed against her back, his face next to hers, and his lips graze against her ear.

“Look at us.”

As soon as Felicity looks in the mirror, he finds her wet heat again and plunges in, making her gasp loudly. The sensation is so strong her hand quickly reaches behind to press against his hip to stop him.

He stiffens, worried he might’ve hurt her. “You alright?”

Felicity nods. “Yeah, it’s just a lot to take in.” Her words catch up to her and she shakes her head, a blush spreading up all over her chest. “I didn’t mean like that. Well, yes, it is a lot, but I meant the feeling. It’s intense.”

Oliver patiently waits for her to feel comfortable again, and after only a few moments her eyes meet his in the mirror and Felicity gives him a nod. He starts to move carefully, making her moan. He takes that as a good sign and slowly picks up the pace. His right hand firmly grips her hip, while the left arm wraps around her collarbone. It’s not too close to the neck, so it won’t hurt her or make her struggle to breathe, but it’s enough to give him some leverage to pull her back against him until they’re both standing only on their knees, facing the wide mirror. Her hands grip the arm around her collarbone, looking for something to hold on to.

“Watch us, Felicity. Watch yourself as I pound into you. Watch the pleasure on your face every time I hit that sweet spot that makes you shiver.” Oliver times his words with his movements, following his own orders.

Felicity gives herself completely to him. She listens to his words, feels him moving inside of her and brushing against her back. In the reflection, Oliver looks strong, powerful and oh so hot. She looks so much smaller than his imposing frame, but the sight doesn’t scare her, instead it drives her even crazier. It might look like he’s dominating her body, but in truth he’s pleasuring her more than she thought possible. He’s not doing this for himself, at least not only for himself. He’s doing this for her. And she loves every second of it.

“Feel my hands digging into your skin.” He continues to whisper. “Feel my breath cover your neck. Feel the way I stretch you just to bring you pleasure.” She whimpers at his words as their eyes meet again in the reflection. His thrusts quicken.

“Look into my eyes and watch me. Watch me pleasure you.” His voice wavers as his own pleasure gets closer and closer. “Watch me touching you for the woman you are. Watch me as I see you for more than just a female body.”

“Oliver…” Felicity is trembling against him, so close to another release but unable to reach it just yet. The hand he has on her hip reaches around her to find her clit, as he tries to get her there with him. Her moans soon become whimpers as she begs him. “Please, Oliver…”

“I’m here, Felicity.” He almost reaches his point of no return, as his hand quickly works her. “I’m right here with you.”

As soon as his words are out of his mouth, Felicity’s lips open to let out a scream, but no sound comes out. The only sound that can be heard is the erotic rhythm of flesh hitting flesh. No sound leaves her mouth as her walls clench tightly around his hard member and it makes him fall over the edge with her as he continues to thrust.

Felicity’s body goes almost completely slack against him and Oliver wraps his arms tightly around her, just under her breasts so he can keep her up, while still pushing into her. She can’t do anything other than breathing hard and shudder against his chest, her head thrown back on his shoulder. She thinks she might pass out at any moment, but she’s always aware of what Oliver is doing, and enjoys the way he drops small kisses on her shoulder, neck and cheek.

He’s softening inside of her, but neither of them cares. His face is hidden in her neck, breathing her in, though his eyes are still on the mirror. The sight of her slumped against him for the pleasure will follow him in his dreams for a long time, he’s sure of it.

When he’s caught his breath, he slowly comes to a stop and pulls out of her. Oliver gently lies her down on the mattress, turning her to face him. Small shivers still control her body, and her legs twitch every once in a while. Her eyes are closed, her breathing is harsh, and a hand over her heart confirms it’s still beating pretty fast. Oliver’s hand finds her cheek, his thumb moves in a soothing motion.

Felicity can feel his concern even in her state. She blindly reaches for his wrist and loosely grips it to reassure him. But other than that, she’s still out of it and can’t do much else.

Once reassured that she’s okay, Oliver lies down next to her and pulls her against him, his arm around her shoulder as his free hand runs through her hair. “Everything’s alright. Take all the time you need.” He drops a kiss on her forehead and Felicity presses her face in his neck with a soft sigh.

She likes this. She likes the feeling of Oliver cuddling with her. Because she has no doubt, this is cuddling. It’s been so long since the last time she felt this way, and enjoyed the simple act of lying against somebody.

They spend long minutes like that, with Oliver running his hands over her in gentle caresses, and Felicity just focusing on her breathing. With time, it starts to slow down, to the point that Oliver thinks she might fall asleep. He wouldn’t mind that, he knows it’s been a long time since she’s experienced something like this, if ever. Still, she needs the rest.

But she doesn’t fall asleep. When she shifts to look up at him, he smiles down at her. “Hey. You got me a little worried for a second there.”

Felicity closes her eyes in tiredness. “I’ve never felt like that before. It was really intense.” She talks slowly, that very action too difficult at the moment. “I’m pretty sure I almost passed out.”

“I hope it was a good intense, and not too much.” Oliver tells her sincerely.

“It was good, so much more than good. But not too much to handle. Though I’ll probably be sore tomorrow.” She says while chuckling, feeling the ache in her body settling in.

It makes him smile. “I’ve got an idea.” He disentangles from her and she whines in protest. “I’ll be right back.”

“’Kay.”

Oliver heads for the bathroom where he gets rid of the condom before turning the faucet of the jacuzzi. He pours a fair amount of bath salts and, while the hot tub fills with water, he walks back to the room.

Felicity is still lying where he left her, and it makes him smile how utterly satisfied she looks. It has nothing to do with his masculinity or his skills in bed. It’s the thought that he was able to help her to have the night she wanted.

He hopes it also helped her to see herself as the woman she really is. Because this is what tonight was about for him. To make her feel like a woman, and not an object.

Oliver steps closer to the bed and picks her up. “Come on.” She doesn’t speak or even open her eyes, just loosely wraps her arms around him and snuggles close to his chest.

He reaches the bathtub and carefully steps in, then lowers down. As soon as her body hits the warm water, Felicity jerks up in shock, but Oliver just holds her tightly. “It’s alright, I’ve got you.”

She’s disoriented for a second, but when she understands where they are, and after hearing his words, Felicity relaxes against him, trusting him to not put her in any danger considering her state.

Oliver turns the faucet off when the water finally fills the tub to the limit, then he places Felicity between his legs, her back pressed to his front as she leans against him. He comfortably lies back against one side of the tub, his neck right on the soft cushion placed on the edge. His arms are wrapped around her middle, securing her against him so she won’t slide down in case she’ll fall asleep.

They rest their tired bodies in the warm water for a long time, the smell of lavender filling the air. Neither talks, but the silence is not uncomfortable.

Felicity focuses on the soothing effect of the warm water, her body already relaxing at the feeling. She owes Oliver so much for tonight. And it isn’t even about the sex. It’s so much more.

Felicity shifts against him to turn up her head, a contented smile on her face. “Thank you.” She whispers, her hand softly squeezes his knee under the water. “Thank you for everything. The whole night, the sex, this… Thank you for your words. They really mean a lot to me.”

Oliver kisses her forehead. “You don’t have to thank me. I’ve only stated the truth. You’re a beautiful woman, Felicity, and you need to remember that you are your own person. You’re not someone’s toy to be played with whenever they like to. You’re a person, a woman, and as such you need to be cherished.” Her cheeks tinge of a shade of red that Oliver knows has nothing to do with the heat coming from the water.

His hands lightly run over her shoulders, gently massaging the tired muscles. Felicity closes her eyes as he continues the action over the rest of her body. It’s not sexual, they’re both too spent for something like that, but he hopes that the warm water and the soft pressure will be enough to prevent her muscles from hurting the next day.

His hands take care of everything. Her arms, her abdomen, even her breasts, gaining a few soft moans from the woman in his arms. He then focuses on the legs, starting from her calves until he reaches the apex of her thighs and sees Felicity’s smile widen. He only runs his fingers over her sex in a feather like touch before he hugs her to his body. A small groan leaves her lips.

“You’re too tired for that.” He reminds her, which only makes her groan again.

“I know. Such a waste for a hot tub like this. And the shower looks appealing too.”

Oliver quietly laughs, before he pulls the plug to drain the water. “Come on, before you fall asleep on me in here.”

He helps her to stand, needing to support her because her legs don’t hold her up on their own, as he dries her off with a towel. He tried to keep her hair from getting wet, but some strands went into the water anyway, so he dries them as best as he can.

Felicity watches on as he takes care of her once again without her asking him to. She wonders if he’s always been like this or if it’s something that changed after his time on the island. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. He’s a good man with a kind heart, and she’s been lucky enough to have the chance of meeting him.

Oliver quickly pats himself down, then helps her to walk through the room. They fall on the bed, and Oliver turns off the lights, leaving the one in the bathroom on to avoid complete darkness.

Felicity snuggles close to him, her head rests on his shoulder, her arm over his waist, her leg thrown over one of his. She’s cuddly like she’s never been before, and she has no doubt is because of the man next to her, and the way he treated her the whole evening.

“Night, Oliver.” She whispers against his skin, her lips brushing over one of his scars.

It makes him sigh deeply. “Goodnight, Felicity.”

It doesn’t take them long to fall asleep, wrapped in each other’s embrace.

→

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... thoughts? I'm always a little self-conscious about the sex scenes I write, I hope I did it justice...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised by the response to this fic, I honestly never thought it could be this interesting to people! I really appreciate your comments and kudos, and even if you don't leave them I hope you still enjoy it.
> 
> Now, back to it...

Warmth.

That’s the first thing Felicity is aware of when she wakes up. It surrounds her like a blanket, but it’s heavier and firmer. It’s not uncomfortable though, and, somehow, it makes her feel safe. When she blinks open one eye, there’s a low light coming in from the closed curtains, and she briefly wonders why her bedroom’s window is on the wrong wall. Or so big. Her mind is still foggy from the sleep, and she feels too tired to question the mystery of her new window.

Trying to get back to sleep for a little more before the alarm is set to wake her, Felicity snuggles into the blanket. When said blanket wraps tightly around her and groans, she stiffens.

Cooper. She internally sighs at the thought that he reached out to her during the night, which only happens when he wants something in return. She’s not up to it, again, and is about to pull away, when her mind starts working and she goes even more still.

The naked chest pressed against her equally naked back is not Cooper’s. It’s too broad and firm, too many muscles, the arms are like strong iron bands around her waist. The groans are too deep to belong to him, the breaths too quiet.

She can smell lavender in the air, and she knows Cooper hates lavender more than anything else. The scent ignites a spark in her memory, but she can’t completely grasp it, though she remembers taking a bath. A bath? With Cooper? That never happened before.

Just when Felicity starts to worry about her situation, it all comes back to her in a rush.

Last night. With Oliver. The best night of her life.

Oliver begins to fully wake up then, when he feels Felicity tense up, meaning she probably woke up disoriented. Oliver pulls her closer to his chest. “It’s alright.” He whispers, enjoying the way she relaxes back against him at his words.

He woke up in the middle of the night, unused to the feeling of another body moving next to him. He found her asleep, her face looking ever so peaceful as her deep breaths hit his arm where she rested her head on.

Oliver watched her in the dim light coming from the bathroom, running his fingers through her hair. It made him realize just how much he missed this, holding a woman in her sleep, after a wonderful night together. And it’s not only the sex. He thought about wanting a stable relationship with someone he can trust, someone who doesn’t expect him to be the same careless guy he once was, someone who will listen to him and not judge him for his post-island issues.

In the dim light, surrounded by silence and in a cocoon of warmth under the blankets, Oliver briefly thought Felicity could be that person, but shook that thought away. They just met. Maybe she’ll never want to see him again. With her back against his chest, her soft breaths lulled him back to sleep.

Now that feeling is once again present in his chest and Oliver wonders how he will be able to go back to how things were before last night.

As Felicity slowly relaxes in his embrace, reassured about last night’s events, she enjoys the way his body curls even more around her. When her eyes fall on the clock on the nightstand, she fully wakes up. 11:07 am.

With a gasp, Felicity tries to sit on the bed, but Oliver’s arms tighten around her, keeping her close to him. “Stay. It’s okay.” He murmurs, his voice coated with sleep.

“I need to get to work.” Felicity tells him, frantically pushing his hands away, but he’s too strong and her attempts are futile. “It’s so late, I’ve never been late in the two years I’ve worked there!”

“Felicity.” His quiet voice stops her for a moment. “It’s Saturday.”

She thinks hard, her mind still a mess. “Is it?” She watches him nod, before slumping down on the bed again. “Thank goodness. I didn’t want to explain to my boss that I was late because I spent the night with his boss’s son and he tired me out too much.”

Oliver chuckles as he pulls her closer again. “You’re tired? Sore?”

“Sore, no. Tired, yes. But it’s the good kind of tired.” Felicity smiles as she presses a kiss on his bicep, before resting her head on top of it. “If I were to wake up tired like this every day, I wouldn’t mind.” The words are out before she can control her tongue, but Oliver simply replies with a soft hum. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I was trying to say-”

“Felicity, it’s okay. I know what you meant.” Oliver reassures her. “But just so you know, I wouldn’t mind either.” There it is, that thought again.

She turns around until she’s lying on her back and she’s able to see his face. He props up on one elbow, rests his head on his hand and stares down at her. Her hair is a tangled mess, there’s a small smudge of red lipstick on the corner of her lips and her eyes are still glossy from sleep. Oliver can see she’s comfortable in his presence, relaxed and oh so beautiful. Yet, he still looks for signs of doubt or regret.

As Felicity allows him stare at her with those captivating blue eyes, she remembers waking up many mornings with Cooper next to her side, but not even once he looked at her like this. Oliver’s stare is gentle, tender even, as his free hand runs up and down her side in a comforting motion. He’s trying to see through her, trying understand what’s going on in her mind, Felicity is sure of it. Oliver seems genuinely concerned about making her feel comfortable and at ease, when a look like this from Cooper would just mean he’s up to something.

“Are you having second thoughts about last night?” Oliver’s question is quiet. He didn’t mean to ask, but her silence brought him to this conclusion.

Felicity slowly shakes her head. “No. I don’t regret last night. I wanted to do that, and I needed it for myself. You showed me who I really am, and I want to thank you for it.” He nods once in response. “What I really regret are the last four years I spent with Cooper.” She thinks about it for a few moments. “Well, no, that’s not right. It wasn’t always like this, there was actually a time when we were happy.”

“Do you have any idea on what started to pull you two apart?” Oliver asks her gently.

Felicity takes a deep breath and glances at him. “We were fine the first two years, when we were back at university. Then we moved here, or rather, I moved here because I was offered a job and a few weeks later he followed me to stay together. Being my very first job I wanted to prove myself, so I completely focused on it. I also needed to pay the bills, and took extra shifts. Cooper wasn’t particularly enthusiastic.”

“Was that your job at Queen Consolidated?”

“Yes.” She confirms. “Because of the long hours I spent there, Cooper started to feel like I left him behind. A few months later, he told me that I was never home and he didn’t enjoy spending the whole day alone. That’s the first time I told him to find a job.”

“He wasn’t working?” Felicity shakes her head as Oliver searches her face. “So, he lived off of what you earned?” This time she nods and he scoffs. “What a hypocrite.”

“At first I didn’t realize it, but yes, I worked and earned money, while he stayed at home playing videogames or hanging around in pubs with his friends.” Felicity shakes her head at her past self. “The more time passed, the less we saw each other, while still living under the same roof. And with time, our feelings for each other changed.” She takes a deep breath. “A year ago, just a few days after we had another argument about his jobless situation and some of our… sexual problems… I came home from work, for once earlier than usual, and found him in my bed with his friend Carrie.” She stops for a few seconds, wondering why they didn’t break up then, but she can’t come up with an explanation.

Oliver’s hand stops on her side to give her a gentle squeeze, making her look up at him again. “I’m sorry you had to find out like that.”

Felicity gives him a shrug. “I kind of expected it. For weeks he talked about this new friend in their group, so I started to suspect. There’s also the fact that at some point we stopped having sex, and while before he searched for me some nights, those weeks he didn’t.”

“Why didn’t you break up with him then?” He prods gently, to which Felicity shakes her head.

“I honestly don’t know. I just know that we stopped talking to each other, which went on for way too long, and then I caught him again last week. And you already know about the whole watching-thing.” She gestures around.

“And you just sat there watching them?” Oliver wonders. “Him and Carrie?”

Felicity knows her cheeks are turning red as she avoids his gaze. “Well… I was not interested in that, obviously, so I just… uhm… replied to some work emails and even fixed a problem in real time, remotely, from my phone.”

Oliver’s eyes widen. “No, you didn’t.” She bites her lower lip and nods, as his mouth hangs open in shock. “Are you serious?”

Felicity nods again. “It was actually your mother that had a computer problem. She was working late, no one else was around, so her messages were automatically transferred to me. And I fixed the problem. From a motel room. While my ex-boyfriend was having sex with his lover in front of me.”

Oliver laughs so hard that the bed shakes under them. He places a hand over his chest to try and control himself, but when Felicity regards him with a shrug, he just laughs harder. It strangely feels nice to see his reaction and Felicity soon finds herself laughing too.

He can’t help but imagine his mother, a poised business woman, sitting in her office and asking help for a computer problem. If only she knew that the person helping her was in a situation that would’ve shocked her in disbelief… Most likely, she would fire Felicity, but Oliver will never talk about this to anyone, let alone his own mother.

“Your secret is safe with me.” He whispers conspiratorially, making her groan.

“Gosh, why did I tell you that?” It makes them laugh again.

After a few moments, they’re both able to calm down and return serious again.

“Felicity, you’re remarkable.” Oliver tells her, his words as honest as ever.

“Thank you for remarking on it.” It’s the only reply that comes to her mind.

Oliver gives her a small smile, and she feels herself smiling back, just when the phone on his nightstand starts to ring. It’s the room’s phone, Oliver reaches for it and after a few words he places it back on the stand, then he turns to look at her.

“It was the reception. They remind us that the room is booked until 12 pm.” He tells her.

Felicity nods in understanding and sits up, just when the curtains open by themselves, revealing the dark clouds over the city. “Weren’t those open last night when we fell asleep?”

She turns to look at Oliver and he shows her the small remote in his hand. “Yes, but there’s a timer, they’re set to close a few hours before dawn so the room can stay dark.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Wow, you really thought about everything when planning for this hotel.”

“I hate when sunlight gets in my face when I’m still sleeping.” Oliver tells her truthfully, making her smile.

Felicity shakes her head in wonder, while standing to grab her dress and underwear that are still on the floor. She doesn’t feel embarrassed at all about what happened last night, even knowing that Oliver’s eyes follow her naked body.

“If you feel the need to stay longer, I can see what I can do about it.” Oliver offers. “Though I know they’ll need every room this afternoon. QC’s investors and associates will be here for the conference tonight, and we’re fully booked.” His voice seems disappointed even to his own ears.

She remembers about the big event everyone has been talking about for weeks, and knows that it needs to run as smoothly as possible for the benefit of the company.

“It’s okay.” Felicity replies as she steps around the bed, where he’s sitting up with the sheets pooled around the waist. “I’ll just freshen up and then I’ll head home.” Oliver nods and stands to retrieve his clothes too.

As he dresses up, his thoughts are once again on the woman in the next room. He really enjoyed spending time with her. Sure, the sex was amazing, but it’s not only that. The way she listens to him and talks to him make him wonder if maybe one day…

No. She has this thing with her boyfriend to figure out, he doesn’t want to get in the middle of that. He’s sure it’s something she needs to do on her own, to literally take back her life in her own hands. He can understand that, and even respects it.

When Felicity returns from the bathroom, Oliver is dressed again in last night’s clothes, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, as he picks up from the floor the half-eaten strawberry she dropped. The memory of her bold action flashes in her mind and she’s barely able to contain the moan as images of everything that happened last night soon follow.

Felicity shakes her head and steps closer to him. This is it. It’s the moment where they say goodbye and, somehow, she finds it hard to accept. She wishes she could spend some more time with him, but knows it’s not possible. Maybe they’ll see each other at QC when he’ll visit his mother. She hopes he often will.

When Felicity is close to him, Oliver completely turns to her with a smile. They move at the same time, as they wrap their arms around the other in a tight embrace.

“Thank you, Oliver. For everything.” Felicity murmurs into his chest, inhaling his scent to commit it to memory.

“You’re a beautiful person, Felicity, inside and outside.” Oliver whispers into her hair, before placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. “You’re strong, and only deserve the best. Never forget that.”

She takes a deep breath, accepting his words, imprinting them in her mind. After a few more moments where they simply hug each other, they both pull away. Felicity casts one last glance around the beautiful room, then they walk toward the door.

The elevator ride is quiet, the silence around them comfortable. They step into the lobby, and it is packed with people that came for QC’s conference. Crowds still make him a little uneasy, but for the first time in a long time, Oliver doesn’t immediately panic. He feels comfortable, and even confident as he walks with Felicity next to him.

His hand hovers close to her lower back as he leads her toward the doors. “I’m so sorry to cut this short.” He tells her apologetically. “But if you need a ride, I can take you home.” He offers. He knows he has things to do, but a part of him hopes she’ll accept, just to spend some more time with her.

Felicity shakes her head. “It’s okay. You’ve got work to do, guests to keep satisfied.” She can feel the heat rise from her chest and knows her cheeks are already flaming red. “I didn’t mean it to sound like that.”

Oliver breathes a small chuckle. “I know. But that’s what makes you, _you_.”

She smiles back at him, before an imposing man approaches them. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Queen, but we need to discuss the security measures to adopt for tonight.”

Oliver nods at him. “I’ll be right there, Digg.”

The man, J. Diggle it reads his target name, gives her a warm smile, before he turns around to handle the mass.

Felicity gently squeezes his arm and indicates the retreating man. “Go. They need you.”

Oliver sighs while looking at her. “Are you sure you will be okay?” Felicity gives him a nod. His eyes briefly glance outside, before he holds up the leather jacket he kept in his other hand. “Here.” This time she shakes her head, but Oliver takes a step closer while putting it around her shoulders. “It’s going to rain soon. I don’t want you to get cold.”

Knowing he won’t back down, Felicity slides her arms through the sleeves. A wave of Oliver’s scent surrounds her and she tries her best to ignore it. For now. “I’ll make sure to return it as soon as possible.”

Oliver shakes his head. “You can keep it. Looks better on you anyway.”

She snorts. “I highly doubt it.”

Oliver smiles widely at her. “Do you need anything else?” At the shake of her head, he sighs, dropping a hand on her shoulder. “I hope to see you around.”

“I hope that too.” Felicity replies, forcing herself to take a step back towards the exit, putting some distance between them, before she does something stupid, like kiss him. “Bye, Oliver.”

“Bye, Felicity.” His words are a soft whisper, but she hears it and smiles at him one last time, before she turns around and leaves the hotel.

Oliver watches her retreating form for as long as he can, but when people start to surround him to greet him and talk about QC, he suddenly feels like a caged animal and needs to run away. With a polite excuse, he walks to his private elevator, meeting John’s questioning gaze. Oliver nods, reassuring him he’s fine, and presses the button to his penthouse, where he’ll be able to find some peace again.

On the sidewalk, Felicity shivers at the cold wind that hits her legs and she’s glad Oliver offered his jacket, because it’s freezing. She pulls up the zip and hides her hands in the pockets as she starts to walk home.

She left her purse in the room Cooper booked for them, and he probably brought it back home last night, so she doesn’t have her phone to call a cab. She could go back inside and ask to make a phone call, but then she wouldn’t have the money to pay for the ride, so she slowly makes her way back to her place.

It takes her well over an hour, partly because the hotel isn’t close, and partly because her feet start to hurt after a few miles and she has to slow down. As much as she loves her high heels, they’re not helping her. Maybe she should’ve accepted Oliver’s offer to take her home.

When Felicity finally reaches her street, a few drops start to fall on the ground. She quickly walks up the three steps under the porch and turns the knob, unsurprised to find the door open. Cooper never listens to her warnings about safety.

Felicity pushes inside and isn’t surprised at all to see Cooper making out with Carrie on the couch. She purposely slams the door, feeling only a little satisfied as they pull apart in shock at getting interrupted.

Watching them together, she doesn’t feel anything. No jealousy. No anger. No disappointment. Nothing.

She raises her eyebrows at them when they don’t move. Slowly they stand, Cooper wraps an arm around Carrie’s middle and kisses her again, whispering something that sounds like “I’ll call you later.” The woman passes unperturbed next to Felicity, before walking out the door.

Felicity doesn’t move from her spot, as she watches Cooper grab a beer from the coffee table where there are at least eight other bottles, all empty. He crosses his ankles on the coffee table, something he knows she hates, before taking the remote next to him and turn on a football game. He doesn’t even pretend to come up with an excuse this time.

Felicity sighs and steps closer, crossing her arms in front of her. “We need to talk.”

“I’m watching the game.” He tells her. By the sound of his voice, she knows he’s drunk.

“Cooper. I’m serious.” She stands her ground as he doesn’t move from the couch, he doesn’t even look in her direction. “Cooper.” She says forcefully.

“Tell your piece of mind, then leave me alone. But make it quick, the team is two points down.”

Felicity finally has enough of it. She stalks to the couch, snatches the remote from him to turn off the tv before she throws it on the table next to her.

“Hey!” Cooper stands from the couch to face her, the beer spills all over the floor but she can’t bring herself to care at the moment.

“We avoided this day for too long now. You won’t watch a game while we talk about our future.” Felicity tells him angrily.

“Fine! Just say whatever you want, you love talking so, _so much_.” He says dryly.

She ignores the jab, and goes straight to the point. “We’re done.”

Cooper scoffs. “Yeah, I’ve already heard this one.”

“No, Cooper. I’m serious.” She stops to make him understand that she’s not playing around. “You and I are over. I’ve accepted it, it’s time you finally accept it too.”

He drinks a long sip of his beer, making her wonder since when it started to become a problem, before he drags his eyes over her body, making her uncomfortable. “One night and you’re suddenly over me?”

“You know that didn’t happen overnight.”

He shakes his head. “That guy brainwashed you, didn’t he? He put things in your head, I know it.”

Felicity feels her anger rising. “Oliver has nothing to do with this. This is my decision. I’m doing it for myself.”

“Don’t lie. You like him, I saw how you looked at him.” Cooper says in disgust. “I know what it is. He gave you an orgasm and now you’ve decided you like his dick more than mine. Sometimes I can’t get it up, okay? I’m only human.” He defends himself with raised hands. It’s always a matter of sex for him.

“You don’t seem to have that problem with Carrie.” Felicity retorts. “And you and I both know our problems aren’t only sexual. They go back long before we stopped having it.”

“Which was not my decision.” His muttered words are still audible.

“You see? This is your problem. You think it all revolves around that. You always fail to see that what is really missing between us isn’t the sex, but the love. The trust and respect for each other.” Felicity shakes her head in defeat. “We’re not in love, not anymore. We stopped caring about each other a long time ago. You lost my trust the moment you stopped respecting me, when you first slept with Carrie, which happened way before I found you two in my bed.”

Cooper steps closer until they’re face to face. “Oh, so it’s a problem of trust and respect when I sleep with Carrie, but it’s okay when you fuck another guy.”

“You started it all!” Felicity yells back. “ _You_ wanted to show me what it was all about, the thrill as you called it. _You_ led me down this road, _you_ suggested it, _you_ agreed to it, _you_ were ecstatic about it! _You_ brought Oliver to me.”

“It’s not only my fault we’re at this point. You have your faults too. You’re never home, you never want to go out with me and our friends, you’re always glued to your tablet or phone or laptop.”

“That’s my job! You know I work from home too.” Felicity is starting to believe that he’ll never understand a word of what she says.

“It’s just an excuse. You constantly ignored me, so don’t blame it all on me if I looked for someone else who is actually interested in me.” He laughs dryly. “You make a big deal about me and Carrie, when you obviously didn’t mind getting fucked like a whore.”

Her hand slaps him hard across his cheek. His head turns to her in an instant, angry as she’s never seen him before, and he grabs her wrist tightly. Felicity tugs it to get free, but his grip is firm.

“Let go of me. Right now.” She tells him lowly.

Cooper ignores her words. “You don’t get to slap me like that when I only stated the truth.”

Felicity pulls hard on her hand and is able to get free. “And you will never touch me again.” She tells him, glad that her voice doesn’t shake. “It’s over. You have two hours to get your things and leave.”

“I live here too.” He argues like a petulant child. “Where do you think I’ll go?”

“Oh, I’m sure Carrie won’t mind if you go to stay at her place.” She shakes her head. “I honestly don’t care what you’ll do. What I do know is that you won’t stay in _my_ house. You know, the one where there’s _my_ name on the contract. The one for which only _I_ pay the bills, because you’re so immature that you spent the last two years avoiding jobs like the plague, doing nothing but living under _my_ roof while I supported the both of us with _my_ job!” Felicity screams.

A weight finally leaves her chest as she lets go of years of frustration and unhappiness. Everything they’ve ever fought about spat in his face once again, but this time she doesn’t say them to fix their relationship. She says it to free herself of it, once and for all.

Cooper isn’t happy of her choice of words, since he gets more agitated. “I tried to find a job, but it’s not so easy.”

“You refused jobs that were _offered_ to you!” She reminds him. “You don’t want to take responsibilities because you’re still an immature kid who just wants to get laid.”

Before Felicity can react, Cooper backhands her. The force of the impact makes her stumble to the side, her hand reaches up to hold her throbbing cheek, and when she pulls it away, she sees a few drops of blood. He hit her so hard it split the corner of her lower lip.

She takes a shaky breath, then looks up at him, for what she hopes is the last time in her life. “Two hours. Then I’ll call the police.”

Without waiting for a reply, Felicity turns around and walks out the door. The few drops of rain from before turned into a pouring storm, but Felicity doesn’t even care as the water drenches her in seconds.

She just starts to walk far away from him, her arms wrapped around her middle as silent tears roll down her cheeks.

→

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, oh. Someone will not like this...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since it was so mean of me to end the last chapter where I did, here's the new one a little earlier. I hope you'll enjoy it!

The watch on his wrist tells him it’s 5:30 pm, when Oliver steps into the lobby. A few people are still checking in, but most of them are already in the auditorium for the conference, and he’s glad it’s not as packed as before. He was able to avoid having a panic attack, but the uneasiness took a while to wear off.

He organized part of the event, but thankfully he won’t have to be present at the actual conference. That many people in a single room… He shakes his head and searches the man he’s looking for.

He finds John on his usual spot, where he can see the whole room, and heads to him. “Hey, I’ve got your message. What’s the emergency?” Oliver asks when he’s close enough. It’s not often that he receives a 911 from his friend, so he knows it’s important.

The bodyguard doesn’t speak at all. Instead, he pointedly looks at something behind Oliver. He turns around and it doesn’t take him long to spot the only person standing out from the rest.

Her clothes are completely drenched, and the wet hair sticks to her skin instead of glowing around her like a blonde halo. She’s gesturing wildly to the man behind the counter at the reception, and even from far away he can see her shaking hard. Without wasting time, Oliver starts to walk to her.

When he’s still several feet away from Felicity, he hears what she’s talking about. “Cooper Seldon, my... friend, he booked a room for us last night. Room 305, how can it not result on your computer?”

“I’m sorry, Miss.” James replies. “There’s a Mr. Seldon who checked out last night. Unfortunately, we already gave the room to someone else.”

Her shoulders slump in defeat. She’s freezing and doesn’t really want to ask one of her friends to help her out because they would want to know what happened and she can’t deal with that right now. “Okay, can you get me another room?”

“We’re fully booked, Miss.” He shakes his head in clear sorrow. “I’m really sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. I can let you make a phone call if you need assistance for your inju-”

“It’s okay, James.” Oliver tells the man when he reaches them, one hand immediately finds Felicity’s lower back. “I’ll take care of it.”

Felicity tries her best to keep herself in check, but Oliver’s presence already makes her feel better. Safe.

He leads her a few steps to the side, away from the others, his heart clenching at how much she’s shivering. “Felicity, why are you…” His words stop in his throat when she turns to look at him.

Blood starts to boil in his veins when he sees the beginning of a bruise on her cheek, along with a small cut on the corner of her lip where there are a few drops of dried blood. Her eyes are red, and he’s sure she has been crying. His hand automatically cradles her cheek, and he feels how cold her skin is.

“Did he do this?” His words are so low he can barely recognize his own voice.

“It’s nothing.” She dismisses him. She doesn’t want him to do something stupid like find Cooper and… do something he might regret.

But Oliver insists. “Felicity, did he hurt you?”

She shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter, I told him to leave before I go back. I was just trying to get a room until tomorrow so he’ll be gone by then, but I forgot about the conference.” She sighs deeply before her trembling hands cover her face. “I should’ve remembered.”

Oliver is about to offer her his spare room, when Harper approaches them. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop earlier, but I heard that the room your friend booked was the 305.” Felicity nods. “Well, the cleaning team found this purse on the dresser this morning. We kept it in the lost and found.”

“Thank you, Roy.” Oliver takes the item from the kid’s hand and holds it out to Felicity. “Check if everything is in place.” He suggests. It wouldn’t surprise him if that idiot…

Felicity huffs. “My phone and tablet are not here. I’m sure Cooper is behind it after what he said.” Oliver frowns and is about to question that, when she speaks again. “I’ve got my keys, and my documents are still in the wallet, but cash and credit card are missing.”

It’s so typical of Cooper to take only what he wants and leave behind what’s important to her, like her keys and documents. She should’ve known he’d do something like this. He was mad last night, he obviously thought to retaliate in the only way he knew. Childishly.

Oliver nods at her words, a plan already forming in his mind. He leads her behind the counter and hands her the landline. “Listen, why don’t you call the bank to block the card, while I go discuss a few security measures with my bodyguard. Then we’ll get you to warm up and take care of the rest, okay?” Felicity nods. “James, can you find her the phone number she needs?”

“Of course, Mr. Queen.” The man replies.

James offers his chair to Felicity, which she accepts with a small smile as he types a search on the computer. She’d do that herself, but her hands are shaking so much she’s not sure she’ll be able to type.

As she handles the issue, Oliver quickly walks back to where his friend is standing watch. When he’s close, John looks where Felicity is sitting. “Violent boyfriend?”

Oliver sighs. “Something like that. It’s a long story.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Cooper Seldon. He came in with me and her around 11pm last night. Watch the surveillance footage and show everyone his picture. Tell them to notify me if he even dares to step inside.”

John frowns at him in worry, the muscles under the suit flexing as if he’s readying himself for a fight. “You think he might be a threat?”

“I don’t think so, but run a background check on him, just to be sure. Let me know if something’s suspicious.” He’s not going to take any chance, not with the safety of his guests… And especially not with Felicity’s.

“You know I will.” His friend reassures him.

Oliver turns to go back to Felicity, but looks at John one more time. “Thank you for letting me know about her.”

The ex-soldier simply nods. “I saw you with her this morning. Thought you might want to check on her and make sure she’s fine.”

Oliver gives him one more nod, before walking back to where Felicity is still sitting.

As she’s putting down the phone, Felicity sees Oliver approaching her, and her eyes quickly take him in. He’s wearing an expensive dark blue suit. The crisp white shirt and blue tie bring out the blue of his eyes even more. He’s very handsome.

Felicity shakes her head when he’s next to her again. “One problem solved. They blocked the card, and will contact me if he’ll use it.” She leaves out a small breath. “Which takes me to my next problem. Find my phone so I can actually pick up if they’ll call. And I also need to secure my tablet, because sometimes I use it for work and I don’t want to get in trouble if he tries anything with it.” She says as a second thought.

“What do you need?” He asks, ready to give her anything to help her.

“A phone or tablet. A laptop might be better. Anything with wi-fi, really, I’m not picky.”

A shudder wrecks her body and Oliver gently takes her by the elbow. “Come on, I’ll get you that, but first you need to get out of this dress and into something dry.”

She doesn’t want to be a burden to him, and she tries to tell him that, but her own body betrays her when it doesn’t put any resistance. He leads her to the private elevator to the side, making her frown when he slides the security card and presses the button for the penthouse.

“Oliver, where are we going?” She asks unsure. All the rooms are occupied, so that means…

“My place. You’ll stay in my guest room for all the time you need. And before you say anything,” he says when she opens her mouth to protest, “I won’t accept no as an answer.”

“You don’t have to, really.” Felicity whispers while looking down. Her arms come up to hug her body when the shivers get worse, and Oliver can only imagine the leather jacket he gave her isn’t doing much to help her right now.

“Yes, Felicity, I have to.” Oliver turns to face her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I can only guess I’m part of the reason for this,” he points at her bruised cheek, “so I have to help you. But more importantly, I _want_ to help you.” He stares into her sad eyes. “I won’t leave you out in the cold and under a storm. I wouldn’t do that even if it was a sunny day, but please, Felicity, let me help.”

Felicity closes her eyes as she takes a few controlled breaths. She opens them again, and fights the tears she feels filling her eyes. “Thank you.” She means it.

“It’s okay.” Oliver runs a comforting hand over her arm, watching as she puts her weight from one foot to the other with a wince as another shiver runs through her. “How long have you walked under the rain?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. It took me like an hour and a half to get home with these heels. It took me even longer to get back here because I was already tired.”

Oliver sighs as he runs a hand through his hair, wishing the elevator to go faster. “I should have taken you home.”

“You were needed here, Oliver. It’s okay.” Felicity reassures him.

He shakes his head. “I should’ve known he’d get angry and take it out on you.”

“It… it wasn’t exactly about last night.” Felicity says slowly. Because it was her words about his immaturity that made him lash out. He probably didn’t even care that she spent the whole night with Oliver. He suggested it in the first place, so no, he didn’t care.

“What do you mean…” Just then, the doors open to show his penthouse. “Later. Now, you need to get warm.”

He leads her a few steps inside, before he holds out an arm. “The heels.” Felicity grips his arm to steady herself as she removes them from her feet, sighing in relief when her soles touch the floor. She’s sure there are a few blisters thanks to the long walk.

He quickly toes off his shoes as well, then with her hand still on his arm, Oliver walks her to the guest room to show her the adjoined bathroom. “Take as long as you need in the shower, you have to get warm again. I’ll get you some clothes in the meantime.”

Felicity nods as she starts to unzip the leather jacket, and it falls at her feet with a wet sound. She steps to the shower and turns the faucet to the maximum, before trying to unzip her dress.

After Oliver leaves the room, he looks for some clothes Thea might’ve left when she stayed a couple of weeks ago, but he only finds crop tops and shorts, not the best clothes to keep warm. He doesn’t even think about going through the drawer with his sister’s underwear in it.

He walks back to his own room, grabs a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, his grey hoodie, thick socks and even a pair of boxer briefs. It should be enough. He also grabs a few clean towels from his bathroom when he remembers the empty rack in the other bathroom.

Oliver stands in front of the door, items in hand, but hesitates when he hears the running water. He’s already seen her naked, why is he nervous about going in? He knocks twice. “Felicity? I brought you some clothes.”

“Come in.”

He carefully walks in, just to find her still dressed, only the jacket on the floor. “Everything okay?” He asks, placing the clothes and towels next to the sink.

Felicity nods. “It’s just the zip. The wet fabric keeps it from going down more than a few inches. And my shaking hands aren’t helping.” Her voice is quivering too and she can feel a cold seep into her bones the more she stands there.

Oliver steps closer. “Do you want me to help you with that?”

“If you don’t mind.”

Silently, Oliver places his hands on her shoulders to turn her around. He pulls down the zip, trying to ignore how goosebumps rise on her skin when his hands brush against her spine.

He’s about to step back when Oliver feels her tilt sideways. He quickly wraps his arms around her middle to keep her upright. “Felicity?” She slightly leans her body against his, and Oliver can see her eyes are closed. “Are you hurt somewhere else?” He’s seconds away from picking her up and taking her to the hospital, but Felicity’s hands find his.

“No, I’m okay. I just feel tired all of a sudden.” She tells him slowly. “I think the adrenaline that kept me going is starting to wear off. And I can’t really feel my legs after walking for… I guess over four hours without a real break.”

Oliver sighs. “You can’t stand in the shower like this.” He suddenly regrets not having a bathtub installed in one of the bathrooms.

Felicity doesn’t want to bother him, so she makes to step away. “I’ll try.”

Oliver shakes his head. “Felicity, I’m holding all of your weight.” The moment he feels her shudder again, Oliver doesn’t think. He quickly picks her up and takes her under the hot water.

She gasps as soon as she understands what just happened. “Oliver! Your clothes.”

“I don’t care. You need to get warm, _now_ , before your situation gets worse.”

He can’t bring himself to say the words to her, but the only thing Oliver cares about right now is Felicity. Her health is his main concern at the moment, and the thought that she might get really sick worries him to no end. That’s why he’s ready to stand for hours in his shower without complaining, with her back pressed close to his chest and both still wearing their clothes, if that means she’ll be fine.

At some point, she’s not sure when, the slight trembling running through her body has nothing to do with her walking in the cold rain for hours or the adrenaline wearing off. Felicity starts to silently cry in his arms. Her tears flow down her cheeks, mixing with the water cascading on them. She finally releases everything she’s held inside for the last few years, the betrayal, the unhappiness, the loneliness, the hurt.

Oliver can feel the change in her and knows for sure she’s crying. He doesn’t ask her why, and he doesn’t pressure her into telling him. He can only guess it’s a mix between finally letting go of someone who held her back with lies, and the realization that that same person doesn’t think twice about hurting her. But Oliver doesn’t say a word, he just hugs her closer and rests his chin on the top of her head as she leans back against him.

It takes over half an hour for the trembling to subside.

When her body stops being wrecked by shivers, both from the cold and the crying, Felicity looks up at him, her head against his shoulder. “Thank you, Oliver. For everything. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“I’m just glad I could help you.” He tells her sincerely. “Do you think you can stand now?”

Felicity nods in affirmation as he tentatively lets her put some weight on her feet. She’s still a little wobbly, but Oliver doesn’t even think about leaving her completely by herself. He helps her to get rid of her dress, then sheds his clothes too. After only a moment of hesitation, he takes off his boxer briefs when he sees Felicity dragging her panties down her legs.

To her surprise, Oliver helps her to wash her hair, as her hands rest on his shoulders for support. He washes her body too, always being respectful and keeping an eye on her face in case he did something wrong. But Felicity just looks at him, wondering why he’s doing all of this for her. He didn’t have to help her, he could’ve called a cab and sent her back home, instead he took it upon himself to take care of her once again. He really is a good man with a kind heart.

While she steps under the running water, Oliver quickly showers himself. There’s only a brief moment of hesitancy, when he has to rinse off too, but Felicity takes him by the arm and pulls him under the water with her. For long minutes they just stare at each other, only inches apart as the water pours down on them.

She wants to kiss him. She wants to close that gap between them and urge him to take her right there. But she knows it’s wrong. She’s not in any shape for something like that at the moment, and Oliver would never take advantage of her like that, she’s sure of it.

Those are the same thoughts that enter Oliver’s mind. And for the same reasons, he doesn’t act on it. He wishes nothing else than to have her again, but he tries to respect her, even if his body starts to respond to what he sees. Felicity notices, but doesn’t comment on it.

Eventually, Oliver shuts the water and steps outside, quickly wrapping a towel around his waist and holding out one for Felicity. He puts it around her shoulders and rubs his hands over her arms a couple times.

“Do you think you can manage to dress by yourself?” At her nod, Oliver takes a step back. “Okay. There’s a hairdryer in the cabinet.” He informs her. “Take as long as you need. I’ll go grab some clothes for myself.”

“Okay.” She replies as she takes the t-shirt he brought her. “And thank you.”

“Felicity, you already thanked me enough.”

“But I mean it.” She insists. He needs to understand just how much she’s appreciating his help.

“I know you do. I believe you.” Felicity sighs, in what he thinks might be relief, and Oliver gives her an encouraging smile then walks to the door.

As he’s turning to close it, he catches the reflection in the mirror of Felicity dropping the towel to the floor. Oliver adverts his stare before closing the door, leaning against it for a moment while closing his eyes.

Why does it affect him so much having Felicity dressing up in the room next to him, when he just helped her shower completely naked? And after spending an entire night with her nonetheless. He’s never felt like this with any other woman before. It makes him wonder, not for the first time, why Felicity has that effect on him.

Felicity pulls up the zip of Oliver’s hoodie when she’s finally done. The shivering finally stopped and some feeling is returning in her feet after walking for so long in her heels.

She brings herself to look at her reflection in the mirror. She’s quickly dried her hair and now it falls around her shoulders, curlier than usual. Her eyes are still a little red from all the crying. The dark circles under them a reminder of her long day, despite the fact the she woke up almost at noon.

But what really stares back at her, is the darkening bruise on her cheek. She can almost see where the knuckles hit her, and the cut on her lip started to bleed again after the shower. Felicity quickly wipes away the drop of blood, washing her hands to get rid of it, and without giving herself another glance she steps out of the bathroom.

The penthouse is almost five times bigger than the honeymoon suite. She walks back to the living room, and takes in the open space kitchen, the vast counter in front of it, the sitting area with comfortable-looking couches, and the floor-to-ceiling windows that are wider than anything she’s ever seen before. They take up the entire wall, showing an even better view of the city. It’s so beautiful it makes her forget about her fear of heights for a moment.

Oliver watches her the whole time as she takes in the penthouse. She looks so small and fragile engulfed in his clothes, and he can’t help the protective feeling inside his chest. The bruise stares back at him even in the soft light, and when a small drop of blood starts to trickle down her chin, he moves from his spot next to the couch.

He approaches her with a blanket in his hands, and puts it around her shoulders. Felicity is about to tell him she’s fine and doesn’t really need it anymore, but Oliver stops her by placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Better be safe than sorry.” He explains.

Felicity decides to just accept his kindness and nods in thanks, as he motions for her to sit on the couch. She does, and on the coffee table she notices a laptop, a tablet, a phone and a first aid kit. He reaches for the latter, opening the lid to retrieve some gauze.

“I don't really need that, Oliver.” Felicity tells him, but he doesn’t hesitate to cradle her uninjured cheek and gently press the gauze to her lower lip.

“It started to bleed again.” He says softly. He’s glad to feel her skin warm again under the palm of his hand. Her lips part on her own accord and Oliver tries his best to not stare at them.

A few moments pass in silence, some tension starts to surround them, before Oliver speaks again. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Felicity sighs, adverting her eyes from him, knowing she won’t be able to talk if he stares into her eyes like that. Then she tells him. She tells him about founding Carrie there, the argument that followed about trust and respect, how Cooper holds against her the fact that she spends a lot of her time working, how she rubbed in his face that he refused jobs and didn’t want to man up and get to work.

Oliver listens carefully to her words. When she doesn’t continue, he pulls back the stained gauze, dropping it on the coffee table. “What happened to your wrist?”

He noticed the bruise while they were in the bathroom, but knew it was not the right time to talk about that. Now, he feels the need to know before he hunts down that piece of shit and makes him pay for ever laying a hand on her.

Felicity frowns at his question, and when she glances down, she sees that she’s been mindlessly playing with the sleeve, revealing another hand shaped bruise. “Oh, I didn’t even know it left a mark.”

“Felicity.” She looks back up at him again. “What did he do?”

A sigh leaves her parted lips. “He said it was obvious that last night I didn’t mind… That I didn’t mind getting fucked like a whore. I slapped him and he gripped my wrist.” Felicity gives him a shrug. “I got away from him and told him to leave.”

Oliver’s turbulent eyes stare into hers for long moments. “And your cheek?” His voice is deep and menacing, almost lethal, but she knows it’s not directed at her.

“I told him he’s an immature kid that only thinks about sex, basically. He didn’t like that.” Felicity winces at the memory of the hit, and the shock she felt that he reacted that way.

“Did he ever hit you before?”

She shakes her head. “No, never. But I also have never seen him so angry.”

Oliver closes his eyes and sighs, before opening them again, reaching into the first aid kit again to pull out a tube of cream. “It’s for the bruises. It will help them to heal faster.” He explains as he pours some on her wrist before gently massaging it.

The way his fingers work on her skin makes her heart beat faster. That only gets worse when he repeats the action with her cheek, as he carefully rubs the ointment, avoiding the cut on her lip. She can’t bring her eyes to look away from him, not even when he’s finished and gathers what he’s used to treat her.

When Oliver is done, he looks at her and indicates the equipment on the table. “Feel free to use whatever you need to block your phone, or… whatever you have to do. I have no idea how that works.”

Felicity gives him a small smile. “Good thing I know exactly what to do.”

He nods as he stands. “Are you hungry? I can order something if you want.”

She suddenly realizes that she hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday. But still… “I don’t want to bother you. I’m already a burden by staying here and asking you to help me in all of this.”

Oliver crouches in front of her and takes a hold of her hands. “Felicity, you’re not a burden. I already told you, I want to help you. Now, how long has it been since you ate last time?”

She sighs. “Yesterday. At lunch.” She sees his eyes darken for some reason and she gives him a shrug. “I couldn’t really eat dinner. I was too nervous about the night. But… I could eat something right now.” She concedes.

“I’ll have them bring something up. Do you have any preference?”

Felicity shakes her head. “I’m not picky. Just no nuts, I’m allergic to them. Anything else is fine.”

Oliver nods while rounding the couch. “No nuts. Got it.”

As he disappears behind the counter, Felicity loses herself in her work. The familiar sight of strings of code running on the screen. The comforting sounds of the keys being pressed. It feels so good to type on a keyboard again after more than 24 hours that she went without.

It takes her only twenty minutes to do her job, and she frowns at how easy it was to access her own phone and tablet. She’ll have to increase the firewalls on both of them as soon as she can, put some encryption and…

“Is something wrong?”

Her head whips to where Oliver is standing next to the couch, a steaming mug in his hand. Felicity puts a hand on her chest over her racing heartbeat. She didn’t hear him approach.

“I’m sorry.” He says while offering her the mug. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Felicity shakes her head. “It’s okay, you’re just awfully quiet. What’s this?”

“It’s some herbal remedy.” Oliver vaguely says, making her frown. With a sigh he sits on the couch next to her. “Considering how bad you were shaking earlier, I’m pretty sure you’ll catch a cold. This will help to prevent that.”

She eyes the cup in her hands. “I appreciate it, really, but… It doesn’t smell that good. No offence.”

Oliver gives her a soft laugh. “I know. I put some sugar and honey in it to cover the herbs taste, so it shouldn’t be that bad.” He turns serious again. “I’d rather for you to drink some bad tea, than to see you shivering sick with a fever at the very least. But the choice is yours.”

Convinced by his reasoning, Felicity hesitantly takes a sip. The taste is strong, pungent, but it’s not as bad as the smell. She drinks it slowly. “So, these are magical herbs?”

He smiles slightly. “Something like that. I brought them home from the island.” She takes another sip as she listens carefully to his words. Oliver feels the sudden need to tell her more, knowing he can trust her with his experiences. “During my first year there, I discovered that they helped a lot when I felt sick. Whether it was a cold, or food poisoning, or to cure an open wound.” Oliver laughs quietly. “At least you have the fortune to drink them as tea and don’t have to swallow them raw.”

“They’re worse than this?” She asks and he nods. “Yikes.”

Oliver chuckles. “I don’t even know what kind of plant they’re from, I just know they can heal almost anything.”

“I’m glad you could find something that helped you to survive.” Felicity tells him honestly.

Oliver gives her an accepting nod, before looking at the laptop on the table. “You didn’t say, is something wrong? You were frowning.”

She shakes her head. “No, all is good. I traced my phone and tablet. They’re back at my place, which is obviously where Cooper brought them after going through my purse.”

“You said something earlier… You were sure he had something to do with their disappearance. How did you know it was him, and didn’t think for a second that maybe the responsible was whoever found it in the room?” Oliver asks with sincere interest.

“Well, I’m sure you thoroughly research people before employing them, and wouldn’t keep around wannabe thieves.” She tells him with a smile, to which he nods. “But mostly, while I was arguing with Cooper, he reminded me that I use them a lot at home. He knows I’m working on them most of the time, but he never accepted it.” Felicity lifts her shoulders. “I guess last night he took them as some sort of childish revenge, I don’t know. I stopped understanding him a long time ago.”

She shakes her head to get rid of thoughts about the past. “Anyway, I was able to find them and secure them. Though, if the bank calls my phone to tell me about the credit card, I can answer directly from your phone, because I wrote an algorithm which uses various servers to pass through the encryption that… You have no idea what I’m talking about.” She says at his blank look. “They’re connected, that’s the easiest explanation. I promise I will bring it back to normal as soon as I get back home.”

“It’s okay, Felicity. Do whatever you need.” He reassures her with a smile, just when the elevator announces someone’s arrival. “Dinner is here.” Oliver tells her before walking to the opening doors.

Felicity quickly finishes the tea, grimacing at the aftertaste. She stands from the couch, securing the blanket around her shoulders, and heads to the kitchen counter, watching in fascination as Oliver wheels a cart to where she’s standing. “They actually send you up a cart?” She asks in wonder. “Well, you’re the owner, that was a dumb question. Of course, this is a thing.”

Oliver smiles at her as he removes the covers from the different plates. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so… I ordered a little of everything that came to mind. All nuts free, I made sure.”

He watches as her mouth hangs open in shock as she takes in everything. There’s a pizza, some pasta and lasagna, two double cheese burgers, French fries, and a few plates with various Chinese food.

“Wow.” That’s the only word that leaves her lips.

“I hope there’s at least something you like.”

Felicity immediately nods. “There’s everything I like. The problem is that I don’t know what to choose.”

Oliver starts to place everything on the counter, and she notices just now that he already set it with two plates, two glasses and a bottle of red wine.

Ugh, she loves red wine.

Oliver’s smile widens. “I hope you do. It’s a Lafite Rothschild 1982.”

Felicity briefly closes her eyes. “I said it out loud?”

“Yes.” Oliver motions for her to sit on one of the stools. “Go on, take whatever you want.”

She looks at the variety of food on the counter. “I wasn’t lying, I really do love all of this. I’m not sure what to pick.”

“Then grab a little of everything. I know I will.” Oliver tells her as he does just that.

Felicity follows his example as she wonders how he can know her so well, without actually knowing her.

→

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter Oliver will talk more about his past... Are you excited?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the one chapter you've all been waiting for... Enjoy!

“So… Italian, Chinese and burgers. Are these your favorites?” Felicity asks him as she fills her plate with some fries.

Oliver nods. “Well, yes, but… I thought I couldn’t go wrong with at least one of the three. Unless you were a salad kind of girl.”

“Salad?” She vigorously shakes her head, making him smile. “You can’t consider salad as real food. This,” she points the different plates in front of them, “is real food. They are all good choices.” Felicity takes a bite of her burger and closes her eyes with a low moan at the taste of it.

Oliver tries to distract himself by grabbing another slice of pizza, but he can’t help himself from remembering last night, when he was the one to make her moan. And now he feels jealous of a burger. How can this woman affect him so much?

“My gosh, this is so much better than those from Big Belly Burger.” She tells him with wide eyes.

Oliver smiles at her. “Our chef made all of this.”

“Well, tell your chef that he’s the best. I might come back here only for the food.” She says while taking a few spring rolls.

“The chef is actually a woman, and feel free to come back as many times you want. The restaurant is open to everyone.” He adds the last part after a few seconds, thinking that maybe he sounded a little too eager to have her back.

They eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, sipping on the wine, which she appreciates a lot. While they eat, Oliver watches Felicity taking in his penthouse. Her eyes are curious but not in a nosey way, and they linger on the few pictures he hung on the walls.

“That’s your sister, right?” She points to the photo of the young woman with him, and he nods. “I saw her a few times at QC. She seems nice, she always has a smile on her face.”

The thought of his sister curves his own lips in a genuine smile. “She’s amazing. The smiles are more recent though… She wasn’t smiling a lot when I first came back home.”

Felicity’s eyes find his again. There’s kindness in them. A stark contrast to the pitying looks he often gets when talking about his past.

She looks into his eyes and can see how much the subject still affects him after two years of being back home. “It must have been hard for you to live away from everyone, and for your family to believe you gone for over three years.” She tells him softly.

“When I saw her again…” Oliver has to clear his throat at the emotion he feels just remembering that moment. His sister running down the stairs of the mansion to collide against him. He’ll never forget that feeling.

“When Thea was finally able to hug me after those three years, she told me that she knew I was alive.” He sees as Felicity’s lips part to take in a trembling breath. “She never stopped believing I was alive.”

“I can’t even start to imagine how she must’ve felt.” Her voice shakes a little. She knows it’s not easy for him to talk about something like this, but she appreciates the trust he’s showing her by sharing it with her. “Having you back must have been incredible for her and your mother.”

Oliver winces at that. “They were really happy I was back, but it wasn’t easy at the beginning. I… After three years, I got used to be alone. I had no one to talk to. I had to take care of myself. I didn’t have to be someone people expected me to be.” He pauses, glad that Felicity understands he needs some time to gather his thoughts. “On the island it was… Cold. And lonely. I got used to that. But after coming back home, as grateful as I was to be able to do that… I found it hard to accept their warmth, physical and emotional. Their closeness too.”

“I think it’s completely normal, Oliver.” Felicity whispers. Her hand itches to reach for him, but she’s afraid to do so after hearing his words. She’s not sure if he’ll accept physical contact right now.

“So, at first I kept my distance as I tried to get used again to normal life.” He continues. “It was hard.”

“I can only imagine. Crowded places must’ve been the worst for you.”

He nods. “Sometimes they still are. It’s just… the noise and the sense of the walls closing in around you.” Oliver takes a few deep breaths, involuntarily rubbing his fingers together in a nervous habit. “On the island, sometimes the silence was so loud I had to speak to myself to avoid going crazy. But other times… The silence was welcomed. It meant peace.”

Felicity places her hand over his forearm, finally giving him the physical contact Oliver didn’t know he needed. It grounds him to the here and now. It helps him to not panic at the memories.

“Is that why you chose a penthouse in the middle of the city?” She asks him gently. “Because you can be around people and not be alone, but at the same time you have your peace with the silence up here?”

Oliver stares at her in wonder.

He never thought about it. He picked the place, liked the idea of the view on the city, liked the thought of living in the same building with other people, and yes, he liked to be so high the traffic noise couldn’t reach him. But he never thought it was his way to adapt the time on the island with the normal life he’s trying to live.

“I’m sorry if I assumed wrong.” Felicity tells him when he doesn’t reply, thinking she’s stepped too far from his comfort zone. “I was just trying to understand…”

“No, you’re right. I’ve never saw it that way, but you’re absolutely right.” He confesses. “I’m sorry, this conversation didn’t go the way I thought it would. I’m just… a little out of my element.” He says in a rough voice.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“It’s not that, just…” Oliver pauses, unsure how to explain it to her. “I often avoid talking about that time, because it either makes people uncomfortable or they’re looking for details they want to sell to some trash-magazine. But with you… I find it easy to talk to you, because I feel like you’re really listening and you’re not judging.”

Felicity gently squeezes his forearm. “I would never judge. And I’m always here to listen if you ever need to talk.”

A few moments pass, and they just stare at each other. Slowly, Oliver adverts his gaze to get his emotions in check, as Felicity retreats her hand from his arm and grabs her fork again.

“So, now you and Thea are okay?” She goes back to an easier topic, making him smile gratefully at her.

He nods. “Yes. There was a time when I wasn’t really supportive of her relationship with Roy, but we resolved it pretty quickly.” He goes back to eat the pasta in his plate.

“Roy… As in the guy from the lobby, Roy?” Felicity asks with piqued interest. At his nod, she frowns. “Why didn’t you approve? He seems a good person.”

Oliver huffs a small laugh. “He is now. Let’s just say I wasn’t really thrilled that my little sister was dating the guy who stole her purse.”

Felicity’s eyes widen in surprise. “What?”

“He stole her purse, she found him and they liked each other. They say it was love at first sight.” He says with a shrug. He rolled his eyes the first time he heard those words, but now he knows they’re true.

Felicity quietly laughs. “I might have to take back my previous statement about you not employing wannabe thieves.”

Oliver laughs at that. “Yeah.” He looks down at his plate, before lifting his eyes again. “When I found out, I gave him two choices. He either accepted my job offer, grew up and got on the right track to lead an honest life, or he had to leave my sister alone.”

A soft smile curves Felicity’s lips. “I guess he loved your sister enough to change.”

“He’s a nice kid now.” Oliver confirms. “He makes her happy and treats her well. That’s all that matters to me.”

“You’re a good brother, Oliver.” Felicity can see the love he feels for his sister, it’s honest and fierce. She knows he’s probably the classic overprotective big brother, but it’s all because he loves her.

Her words mean a lot to Oliver, especially because for a while he thought the opposite. He tries to express that with a small smile, before he takes the chance to know more about her. “What about you? Any siblings?”

Felicity shakes her head. “No, I’m an only child.”

“And your parents, do they live here?” He asks, trying not to pry too much, but he’s genuinely interested in knowing her.

“No. My mom lives in Las Vegas, where I’m from. She’s a cocktail waitress, she worked a lot to get me here. We didn’t always get along, but we love each other very much.” She stops briefly and looks down at her almost empty plate. “My father, he… I don’t really…” Felicity stutters through her sentence and Oliver almost regrets saying anything, he doesn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. “I have no idea where he is.” She says in the end. “He left when I was seven, and never heard from him again.”

This time is Oliver who reaches out to take her hand, gently squeezing it. “I’m sorry.”

She gives him a tight smile. “I don’t remember a lot, but I do remember how much it hurt when he left.” It’s always been a sore subject for her, even so many years later. Felicity sighs. “And now I’ve got abandonment issues.” She lets out a dry laugh.

“I think it’s completely normal.” He replies, unconsciously using the same words she told him earlier.

Felicity looks into his eyes again. “You know… While on my way here today, I realized that I was never able to seriously break up with Cooper because of that.” She pauses, gathering her thoughts as she prepares herself to say out loud the one thing that always scared her. “I’ve seen how much my father leaving hurt my mom. I guess I unintentionally convinced myself that being in a relationship with someone who didn’t love me, was better than to be left alone.” She scoffs. “I stayed with him because I was afraid of being alone. How childish, right?”

“We are all afraid of something, Felicity. No matter how childish that fear is, we should not be ashamed of it.” Oliver tightens his hold on her hand, making her look up at him again. “Nights on the island were completely dark. I was surrounded by trees, the moon and stars were barely visible, I could hear animals hiding in the shadows. I was afraid of the dark, the whole time. And ever since I came home, I have to keep a light on every single night, or I won’t be able to fall asleep.” Felicity’s hand squeezes his in silent support. “I’ve learned that I don’t have to be ashamed of that. And your fear of being left alone is understandable after you lost your father.”

Suddenly, Felicity realizes something she should’ve remember before starting this conversation. “I’m so sorry, your father died on that boat, you suffered a loss much worse than mine, I shouldn’t complain about…”

Oliver squeezes her hand. “You still lost you father. You’ve suffered too.”

She shakes her head. “Your experience was traumatic, Oliver. My father leaving is nothing compared to what you went through.”

“Don’t minimize that.” He tells her gently. “You were abandoned as a kid, that’s traumatic too. A different kind of trauma, but a trauma nonetheless.”

Felicity takes a deep breath. “I just hate being this… weak.”

“You’re not weak, Felicity.”

She huffs a small laugh. “Well, I stayed with a person for years because I was afraid of being alone, I walked for hours under a storm just to get away from him, and cried on you when you helped me in the shower… It doesn’t sound like a strong person to me.”

“But you are to me.” Oliver says before he even realizes it. “You’re strong, Felicity. Crying doesn’t make you weak. Asking for help doesn’t make you weak. I need you to understand that.”

She takes a deep breath, mulling over the words. She knows that what he’s saying is right, those things don’t make you weak, but Felicity still finds it hard to accept. She’s always been independent and faced her problems alone, because in all honesty Cooper was useless. It’ll take her some time before she can really believe his words. But for the moment she gives him a nod, showing him she heard what he said.

“Wow, really heavy topics for two people who barely know each other.” Felicity says after a moment.

Oliver shrugs. “I’m starting to feel like you know me better than most. I… I don’t usually talk this much, but you make me feel at ease. Talking to you comes naturally.”

She smiles at him. “Thank you. And it’s the same for me. I mean, I talk a lot, obviously, it’s always been like that, but I meant the feeling. You make me feel at ease too.” Her words are rushed, as if she’s nervous to say them. “Which is so weird because I hardly trust people I just met. But then again, we met in a… uhm… unique way.”

Oliver chuckles. “You could say that. But I’m glad I’ve got to know you.”

“Me too. It was an unexpected surprise.” Felicity smiles at him.

“Unexpected, but beautiful.” Oliver can’t help but say, feeling his heart beat faster at the smile she’s giving him.

After that they continue eating, while talking about favorite food, hobbies, interests. It’s easy, and comfortable.

It almost feels like a date.

But at the end of it, they don’t kiss. They just finish their food, clean the kitchen counter, send the cart downstairs, and step into the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. They face each other, tired but sincere smiles on both of their faces.

Oliver reaches out a hand to gently cradle her injured cheek, softly running his thumb over the dark spot. “I want to come with you tomorrow. Drive you home, and make sure he’s not there.”

Felicity starts to shake her head. “It’s not necessary…”

“It is, Felicity.” He insists. “He already hit you once. I won’t let that happen again.”

She sighs while looking on a spot on his chest. There it is again, her struggle to accept help. “Maybe he already left.” She offers weakly.

Oliver can see she’s doubtful about it, which only makes him press further. “We can’t know. That’s why I want to be there, to make sure you’ll be safe. Please, let me do this.”

With a sigh, Felicity looks up into his eyes. She knows he won’t accept no as an answer, and in truth, she’ll feel better if he will be there next to her. “Thank you.”

He nods, taking a step back before he gives in to his instinct to kiss her. “If you need anything, I’m in the next room.”

Felicity gives him a nod and a hesitant smile, before turning to the guest room, softly closing the door.

Oliver retreats to his own room, leaving the door open and turning on the low lamp in the corner. He lies in bed and wonders how it’s possible to feel so strongly for someone he met just the night before.

→

Dark clouds still cover the sky, as Oliver turns the ignition off and faces Felicity.

She bites her lower lip in worry, grimacing when she’s reminded there’s a healing cut on it. Her hands play with the hem of the sweatshirt as her eyes never look away from the window.

The lights are on.

Felicity pushes herself against the seat of the Porsche, unconsciously trying to put even more distance between her and the man behind the door. She’s scared. For the first time in her life, she’s scared of the man she’s known for the last four years. Someone she once thought she loved. How foolish of her.

Oliver studies her face. She’s barely keeping it together, afraid of what might happen. He hates seeing her like that, knowing she’s strong and confident on the inside.

The trembling breath leaving her parted lips is loud in the confined space.

“I have a lot of fears.” She confesses suddenly. “I’m scared of spiders, needles, any kind of pointy object, really. Knives and swords too, probably. I’m scared of many other things that right now escape my mind, but… I’ve never been afraid of him.” Felicity turns to look at him, her eyes reflecting her words. “Now I’m terrified at the thought of going through that door.”

“He never hit you before.” Oliver reminds her. “He never got violent, so you didn’t have to be afraid of him. Now you know what he can do and probably won’t hesitate to do it again.” Felicity inhales sharply, and Oliver regrets his choice of words. “I’m sorry, Felicity, I’m not trying to scare you even more. I’m just saying that now he gave you a reason to fear him, that’s why you’re suddenly scared.”

She nods, while looking back at the apartment window. “I know.”

“But…” Oliver takes her hand which is resting on her lap, and gently squeezes it in support. “You don’t have to be afraid. I’m right here with you, and I won’t let him touch you again.”

“What if he doesn’t want to leave?” She wonders.

“I’ll make him.” Oliver tells her lowly. When she starts to object, he concedes, “Or we’ll call the police. The apartment is yours. He can’t stay in there if you don’t want him to.”

Felicity turns her hand, so she can entwine her fingers with his, and tightens her hold. “Thank you. I can’t say that enough for everything you did and still do.”

“I’m not doing it for a thank you.” Oliver assures her. “I’m doing it for you, because you deserve better.” _And I care about you,_ are the unsaid words.

She nods in understanding and takes a deep breath. He watches as she gathers her strength, along with her courage, before letting go of his hand to open the passenger door. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Felicity spends the few moments it takes them to walk to the door to think about everything that needs to be said. She wants to face Cooper for the last time, and never see him again. She wants him gone from her life.

For the first time, being alone doesn’t scare her so much.

Oliver quietly follows a few steps behind her, watching as she tries to unlock the door with the key, only to find it already open. Felicity huffs a little at that, mumbling something that sounds like “Of course,” then pushes inside, looking back at him until he’s right next to her.

They find the idiot on the couch. Her phone, tablet and credit card rest in the middle of dozens of empty bottles on the coffee table, more bottles are scattered all over the floor, an empty pizza box thrown over the cushions.

Felicity told him the day before that he looked drunk, but Oliver didn’t know he had a serious problem. By the look on Felicity’s face, she didn’t know either. She recovers quickly as Cooper barely glances at them before turning back to the game playing on the tv.

“I knew you’d bring him home.” He slurs.

Felicity ignores him and crosses her arms in front of her, an invisible shield to protect herself. “I told you to leave, Cooper.”

He waves a hand in dismissal. “Didn’t want to. But you…” He points his index finger at her. “You came back.” He stands from the couch, swaying as he steps closer to Felicity. Oliver places himself in front of her, earning a glare from Cooper. “You gonna fuck her in my bed this time?”

“Technically, it’s _my_ bed…” Felicity whispers, mostly to herself.

“She told you to leave.” Oliver reminds him, barely suppressing his rage. “I suggest you to do that, and never come back.”

Cooper pushes his hands against Oliver’s chest, trying to shove him away, but fails miserably. “The fuck you care? She’s gonna give her precious little pussy to anyone now. She enjoyed to play the whore…”

“Don’t talk about her like that.” Oliver warns him. His hands clench in tight fists, but he tries to keep his composure for the woman behind him.

“She’s my girlfriend.”

Felicity steps around Oliver to face her ex. “I told you we’re over. More than once, actually, and you know I really mean it this time.”

“Oh, but that’s the game you always play.” The younger man smiles maniacally at her. “You say we’re over. You say you don’t care anymore. But the truth is that you still want me, I know it.”

“No, I don’t.” Felicity’s voice is firm, no doubt that she really means it. But he doesn’t back down.

“So you want to throw away four years of our lives like that? Because you got a good fuck once?” He points at Oliver, who is barely holding himself in place at the way he’s talking to her.

“ _You_ threw them away when you cheated on me!” Felicity yells.

“We’ve already talked about that.” Cooper says annoyed. He takes a step closer and Oliver gently grabs Felicity’s arm to pull her back, but she stands her ground as Cooper almost gets in her face. “You know you still want me. Little Felicity with her little insecurities about daddy leaving her…” He taunts.

Felicity recoils at that. She knows what he’s doing, he’s playing with her emotions once again, like he used to. And much to her chagrin, his words cut her deep. “Stop.” She whispers.

“We both know you’re still with me because you don’t want to be alone.” He shakes his head. “You’ll never let go of me. You don’t want to end up like your mother.”

Felicity looks down at the floor, taking a step back, closer to Oliver. “Stop that, don’t you dare to bring that…”

“ _No!_ You don’t dare to-” Cooper doesn’t get to finish the sentence because Oliver has him against the wall in a matter of seconds.

“Oliver!” He hears Felicity call for him from behind, and he forces himself to not strangle the guy.

Instead, Oliver grips tightly the edges of the shirt he’s wearing, holding him so high against the wall that Cooper barely touches the floor.

“Now listen to me, and listen carefully.” Oliver’s voice is so low and lethal, it’s almost unrecognizable. “You’re going to walk out of that door, and never come back. If I ever see you less than a mile away from her, I’ll make you regret it. And I know people, many people, in the city and outside, I have eyes and ears everywhere. They’ll tell me if you even dare to pronounce her name.”

Cooper stares down at him in challenge. “I’m not scared of you.” His trembling voice betrays how he really feels.

“You should be.” Oliver growls. “I spent three years fending off wild animals way scarier than a little cheater with no balls. I’m not afraid of putting you in place.”

A few tense moments pass, before Oliver releases him, sure that the threat reached its target. Cooper is so unstable on his feet that he ends on the floor.

“Now, give her back her apartment keys.” Oliver orders him.

The man stands with some difficulty, grabs the single key that rests on a table nearby, and shoves it in Oliver’s hand. He slowly makes his way to the door.

“Wait.” Felicity speaks up. “We need to check if it’s the right one.”

With quick steps, Oliver is in front of the door before Cooper has the chance to reach it. The key doesn’t work. He turns around with a glare. “The right one. Now.”

Cooper reaches inside his pocket with an annoyed huff. “Here’s your damn key.”

The bastard already knew something like this was going to happen and tried to hide it beforehand. He was going to come back for her. That only fuels Oliver’s anger.

Cooper throws it at him, Oliver catches it easily, and makes sure the guy isn’t playing them again. When he’s satisfied, Oliver pulls the door wide open, silently inviting him to leave.

Felicity watches as Cooper hesitates, looking at her. She has a bad feeling.

His breathing increases and his hands clench in fists. The moment Oliver takes a step closer to him, Cooper runs to her with a yell. “You bitch!”

Cooper’s movements are slowed down by the alcohol in his system, making it easy for Felicity to dodge his fist and then push him away from her. She doesn’t need to do more than that because Oliver is right there the next second.

His fist connects with Cooper’s jaw, sending him down to the floor. He leans over the bastard, grabs a fistful of his shirt to pull his upper body off the floor and punches him. Again. And again. And again.

Oliver forces himself to stop after just a few hits, letting go of the guy, who groans in pain. Blood is pouring heavily from his nose, probably broken, and he will have a few nasty bruises. It’s not nearly close to what Oliver wants to do to him, but that will have to do.

He kneels next to the guy, enjoying a little too much the way Cooper flinches at his closeness. “Next time you get close to her, I won’t stop.”

Cooper crawls backwards and stands when he’s out of Oliver’s reach, running out of the door as fast as he can in his condition.

Oliver keeps his eyes on him until he has rounded the corner. Then he closes the door and it’s over. Oliver has tried to be civil, he really did, for Felicity. But the moment he saw Cooper lunge for her… That was the last straw.

Felicity can feel a weight leaving her chest as she stares at the closed door. Before coming in, that very same door terrified her. Now, it makes her feel free.

When Oliver looks back at Felicity, he sees her barely holding it together. He wants to hug her, keep her close and reassure her that the idiot will never hurt her again. But he worries that what he just did might’ve scared her.

He has his answer when Felicity quickly steps closer, until she’s able to wrap her arms around his shoulders. “I did it.” She whispers as the first tear falls down her cheek. “I finally ended it.”

Unlike last night in the shower where she cried silently facing away from him, now Felicity clings tightly to him, hiding her face in his neck as she sobs, and Oliver can only hold her closer. He cradles the back of her head as his free hand rubs soothing circles on her back. “You did it.”

Somehow, Oliver knows that Cooper’s words about her father are the main cause of this reaction. The bastard knew how to play with her emotions, and that’s probably what he always did. The cheating, his jobless situation, the drinking problem. He always played with her insecurities, pushing the right buttons so she won’t leave him, knowing she will never want to be alone.

Oliver is there for her. It’s a recurring thing in the last 36 hours, and his presence helps her like nothing else before. He’s kind and comforting, and doesn’t make fun of her issues. He’s her rock in a moment where she feels at her lowest. Breaking down like this, she never let anyone assist to something similar, but Oliver just supports her. And that only makes her cry harder.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Felicity.” He kisses the top of her head. “You’re not alone anymore.”

Because that’s the reality. Having that bastard by her side, didn’t mean she wasn’t alone. It was just an illusion. The truth is that she’s been alone for years, but now she won’t be. Not as long as she’ll keep Oliver in her life.

→

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Cooper got his ass kicked, finally!!! I hope you liked it!


	8. Chapter 8

Felicity sighs as she looks at the line in front of her.

She knows that getting to the coffee shop across the street from Queen Consolidated is a waste of time, but the one the company offers is really disgusting, and real coffee is a luxury she gives into. So, she doesn’t mind wasting half of her lunch break to travel down fourteen floors, and then all the way here to get the best coffee in town.

She takes a step forward as the line gets shorter, and her eyes catch sight of the barista behind the counter, making her sigh again. Ever since Jimmy, the barista, found out about her break up with Cooper, he’s been trying to convince her to go out with him on a date. Felicity has to admit he’s cute and funny, but too young and naive for her, and not her type overall.

Who is she kidding? The barista is not the problem.

The problem is that she can’t stop thinking about Oliver Queen.

It’s been two weeks since Felicity officially broke up with Cooper. Two weeks since Oliver helped her to get rid of the things he left behind in her apartment. She wanted to cut them to small pieces and burn them, but Oliver suggested that maybe giving them to charity would be more helpful. She had smiled at his idea, and it actually took them a couple of days to gather everything, along with the tainted couch and bed mattress. Those few days, Oliver would come by her place after work, with bags from his restaurant that they devoured in a matter of minutes, before working on packing stuff.

They exchanged a few messages the days after. Oliver wanted to check on her, make sure she was fine, and his concern made her feel cared about. His virtual presence made her feel safe, just as much as his physical presence always did. It was his way to let her know she wasn’t alone, even if they weren’t in the same place at the same time, and Felicity had to admit it really helped her to heal and face another day without her fears lurking around the corner.

Then five days ago, he called her for a technical problem at the hotel. The servers had gone down for an hour in the middle of the night, and when they were up and running again, all the data was missing from them. The guests’ reservations, their personal information, the security records and video footage, the employees’ personal data. Everything was gone.

Oliver had called her, desperate to get the situation under control again, and she didn’t hesitate to leave her apartment at three in the morning to help him. Felicity was able to recover everything in under five hours, and Oliver had hugged her so tightly in gratitude that she can still feel his arms around her middle if she focuses enough.

The next day, when she went to work later than usual because she had some sleep to catch up on, Felicity found one hundred red roses in her small office, along with a bottle of Lafite Rothschild 1982. It took her a long time to focus on her job after that.

She called him that night, to thank him, but Oliver spent more time thanking her for her help. He told her she saved his reputation and the hotel’s, and that he owed her. Felicity told him it was the least she could do after he helped her with Cooper.

That night was the last time she heard from him. He always told her to feel free to call him, even if she just wanted to talk about the weather, but Felicity never found the courage to do it.

She knows she’s starting to feel something for him, something that goes beyond friendship, and sometimes she thinks he might feel the same, but is she ready for another relationship so soon?

Technically it’s been only two weeks since she ended things with her ex, but Felicity knows that she’s been single for well over a year now. The closest thing to a relationship she had during that time, is her night with Oliver. Which is still impressed in her mind, burned in there for the rest of her life.

Not that she minds. She doesn’t mind that at all.

Another sigh leaves her lips as she steps closer to the counter and will surely have to face Jimmy, the wannabe-date barista. Luckily for her, Sara comes to her rescue with her usual already in her hand.

“There you go, sis.” She says with a wink.

Felicity smiles gratefully at her while paying for her coffee. “Thank you, Sara.” She doesn’t mean only for the coffee, and the other woman knows it.

From the corner of her eye, she sees Jimmy wave and move closer to her, so Felicity quickly turns around. She’s so focused on keeping her head down to avoid him, that she collides with someone. She’s ready to hear the loud yell of pain that comes with hot coffee ending on someone’s face, but it never comes. Instead, strong hands grasp her arms, steadying the steamy cup in her hand, along with helping her to keep her balance and not fall on the floor.

“I’m so sorry,” Felicity is already saying, “it’s my fault, I wasn’t paying attention to where…” Her eyes find another pair of blue and she loses the ability of talking.

“Hi, Felicity.” Oliver smiles down at her.

He’s been coming to this place for the last few weeks after Felicity told him they have the best coffee in the whole city. At first out of curiosity, he can confirm the coffee is really amazing, but then he came back in the hope of seeing her. Today is his lucky day, and he even got to save her from a burning coffee.

Seeing him again comes almost as a shock for Felicity, and she can’t talk or move. Oliver seems more relaxed than she ever saw him, his smile wider than she remembers it, and the dimples cuter. Okay, the dimples have always been cute. Cute is not a word she would associate to him, but she does anyway because his dimples are cute. And now she can’t stop thinking about the word cute or his dimples. Perfect.

“You’re blocking the line.” Another voice comes from the side and it brings them back to the present.

With a quick “Sorry,” Oliver leads her outside, his hand on her lower back, as Felicity tries to collect herself.

He really missed talking to her in the last few days, and suddenly he’s eager to catch up with her. “How are you?” Oliver asks before she can apologize again for colliding against him.

“Uhm, good. Yeah, I’m really good.” She haltingly says. “What about you? Everything fine with the servers?” Smooth, Felicity, very smooth.

“Yeah, they’re all good. And I’m fine, thanks. I was just coming in to get my coffee, when I saw you trying to escape from Jimmy.” He smiles at her. “Thought I might come to your rescue.”

Felicity laughs quietly next to him. “It’s really appreciated. But he’s innocuous, I just have to find a way to tell him I’m not interested without hurting his feelings.”

Oliver nods at her. “I’m sure you’ll find a way.” He gives her another sincere smile, before he indicates the Queen Consolidated building across the street. “Do you have to go back to work?”

She checks the time on her watch and nods. “Yes, this little trip took longer than I thought, and my lunch break is almost over.”

“Do you mind if I walk you there?” He asks, with a hopeful smile.

“What about your coffee?”

Oliver gives her a shrug. “I can get it on my way back.” He won’t waste the chance to spend a few minutes with her.

“Okay then.” Felicity says while starting to walk, his hand still hovering close to her back.

“How are you really doing, Felicity?” He asks, because he can’t help but worry about her. Oliver can see she’s doing better, more relaxed and confident, but he still wants to make sure.

Felicity looks up to look into his eyes. “I really am fine, Oliver. You don’t have to worry. I haven’t cried once since that night.” She tells him proudly.

He releases a small sigh. “Good, I’m happy to hear that.” And he means it.

They cross the street when the light turns green. They take the few steps that lead to the entrance of the building, before Felicity stops and turns to him. He does the same, his head tilted to the side in silent question.

“You seem really happy today.” She points out.

His smile widens. “It’s a good day.” _I’ve got to see you again._ Of course it’s a good day.

Felicity chuckles. “I can see that. I’m happy for you.”

“You know…” Oliver starts, and for some reason he seems suddenly anxious. “I miss our talks.”

She smiles softly at him. “I miss them too.”

“So, I thought… maybe we could get coffee sometimes?” His expression is hopeful and it brings a smile on her face.

“Sure.” Felicity replies a little too quickly, sounding eager even to her own ears. “I mean, that’s what… what friends do, right?”

Oliver frowns. Before he can dwell on it, he clears his throat. “Yes. Friends… Friends do that. Of course.”

Felicity can feel him tensing up, and as she looks around, she sees the throng of QC’s employees trying to get back to work. Her hand rests on his bicep, softly pushing him to the side.

“Do you want to go somewhere quieter?” She offers, ready to call in sick if he needs her to. She won’t leave him alone if he’s about to have a panic attack.

Oliver can see why she thought that was his reaction, but he doesn’t have the guts to tell her the truth. He shakes his head. “No, it’s fine. I have to go back to the hotel anyway. I’ve got a meeting with my staff shortly.”

“Oh, okay.” Felicity gives him a small smile, one that she knows doesn’t reach her eyes. She was looking forward to spend some more time with him, especially if he’s having problems with his anxiety and she could help him.

“I’m happy I’ve got to see you again.” Oliver tells her, his voice a little sadder than it was before, he knows it, but he can’t help it. “And I will call you… for that coffee.”

“Yeah. I look forward to it.” Felicity says, feeling a little sad herself at his mood change.

“Bye, Felicity.”

“Bye, Oliver.”

She watches as he turns around, his head hanging low, his shoulders slumped, his hands deep in his pockets. He doesn’t look back at her. Felicity watches him until he rounds the corner. With a heavy sigh, she steps inside the building, eyeing the cup in her hand. Now coffee doesn’t sound so good to her.

As Oliver walks back to the hotel, he can’t help but think about their interaction. He wanted to ask her out on a date, instead he found out she sees him as a friend. He doesn’t mind that, if it means she’ll still be part of his life. But he really thought there was something else between them, something deeper.

She’s a beautiful person with a good heart, and Oliver feels his heart beat faster whenever he thinks about her. That never happened with other women. She’s the first woman that makes him want to have a serious and stable relationship.

He wants to be there for her. He wants to listen to her as she babbles about her tech, as she makes double entendre that bring a blush on her face. He wants to help her deal with her abandonment issues. He wants to make her feel safe. He wants to make her happy.

They both have their problems, but he knows that being together would be positive for them. They could help each other to overcome those issues. Oliver knows that they could fall in love, and fall hard, and it could be the best thing to ever happen to the both of them.

He just wished Felicity felt the same.

In her office, Felicity tries to bury herself in her work, but fails miserably. Her coffee sits untouched to the side on her desk. She constantly thinks back to her conversation with Oliver, how he went from utterly happy to sad and defeated in a matter of seconds.

The more she thinks about it, the more she’s sure he didn’t have an anxiety attack because of the crowd. He actually seemed unfazed by that.

No. Felicity realizes that he started to seem uncomfortable the moment she said the word ‘friends.’ Weren’t they friends? Did she see something that wasn’t there? Mistook his kindness for something more?

With more questions than answers, Felicity bites her pen and swivels on her chair to look down at some requests from her boss. She’s still reading the list, when a throat clears behind her.

If she was surprised back at the coffee shop, now she’s speechless as she stares up at Oliver, mindlessly taking the pen from her parting lips. He seems out of breath, and for a moment she thinks he might be having a panic attack right now, but then he speaks.

“I lied.” He rushes out. “I don’t want to get coffee with you. No, wait, yes. Yes, I want to get coffee with you.” Oliver shuts his eyes tightly as he releases a controlled sigh, before opening them again, a new determination in his mind. “Felicity, I’m not good with this kind of things. I’ve never had a problem talking to women, but when it comes to you… I can’t think clearly.”

“Oh.” Her lips part on their own as her heart starts to beat a little faster at the look in his eyes. “Okay…”

“I don’t want to just get coffee with you, Felicity. I would like to get you out to dinner.” Oliver finally says the words he wanted to say earlier and a new warmth spreads through his chest at the possibility that she might say yes.

He stares at her, waiting for something, but Felicity can’t find the right words she wants to say. “You mean… as friends?” There it is, that look again in Oliver’s eyes. “Are we friends, Oliver? Because I’m afraid I’m misunderstanding the whole…”

“I guess we are friends, but… I like you, Felicity.” His voice is sure and strong. “I really like you, but not in a friend kind of way. I want to take you out to dinner and find out more about you, about the person you are. What you like and what you don’t. Whether you prefer a night at home watching a comedy while eating pizza, or going to the movies for some romantic film and walk back home afterwards with an ice cream in your hand.” Oliver sighs, tilting his head to the side. “I want to know all about you, Felicity. And I really hope you will give me a chance.”

She gapes at him. It’s everything she’s been hoping for the last couple of weeks. “I don’t want to read too much into this, but are you asking me out on a date? Like an actual date? Like a date-date?”

Oliver feels himself smiling again in happiness. “Felicity, I just ran from the other side of town to ask you out before I lost my nerve. Yes, I mean a real date.” He steps closer and tenderly grasps her hand. “Would you like to go to dinner with me?”

This time Felicity doesn’t hesitate. With a smile that hurts her cheeks, she nods. “Yes. I would love to.”

→

Their evening starts with dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. Oliver had reserved a table for them in a secluded area, which gives them the opportunity to talk freely, and don’t have to worry about being watched or interrupted.

They talk about anything they feel the need to. About childhood stories, high school dramas, failed love relationships, and the beginning of new friendships. The atmosphere is serene, the food amazing, and each other’s company even better.

After dinner he drives them to the park, where he buys her an ice cream from the stand, and they go for a short walk, mindful of Felicity’s high heels’ situation. When he feels her shiver, Oliver gives her his jacket, which she accepts gratefully, then grabs his hand and resume their walk and conversation.

They talk about past Christmas holidays, how they spent them, he finds out she’s Jewish and asks her about their traditions. Felicity tells him about her mother, and Oliver talks about his family. She confesses how it made her feel when her father left, while he tells her a little more about the island.

They switch from easy topics, to the heavy stuff, but the mood isn’t ruined. They have the chance to really get to know each other.

When Oliver parks his car in front of her place, it’s almost 3 am. They’re both tired, but the smiles on their faces won’t fade any time soon.

He rounds the car and opens her door, holding out his arm so she can lean against him as they take the three steps under the porch that lead up to her door. Felicity unlocks the door but doesn’t open it. She turns to him and shrugs off his jacket, giving it back to him.

“I had a wonderful night, Oliver.” She tells him sincerely.

Oliver takes the jacket from her hand and smiles widely. “Me too, Felicity. I mean it.”

As they look at each other, neither feels like this is too soon or wrong. Instead, they both lean toward each other, their foreheads touch and their breaths mix together.

This feels right.

When their lips touch, it’s soft and unhurried. Oliver’s hand is warm on her back, Felicity’s fingers gently grip his shoulders, and their tongues meet in a sensual motion. They take their time, until they both need to breathe fresh air. When they pull back, their eyes meet and they can’t help the smiles that appear once again on their flushed faces.

“I really enjoyed our date, Oliver.” She casually plays with his tie. “I would invite you in, but you know the rule about first dates…” She teases.

Oliver chuckles. “Well, I like to consider that dinner at my place our first date.” His arms circle her waist, not ready to let her go yet. “So, this would be our second date.”

Felicity tilts her head, thinking about it. “If that was our first date, then we have to think about all the times you dropped by my place. There was food and conversation involved, so those counts as dates too.”

“That would make this our… sixth date?” He checks.

Felicity nods. “Yes, I’m pretty sure it’s something like that.” She bites her lower lip, drawing his eyes to it. “So… Would you like to come in?”

Oliver kisses her lips again. It’s soft and chaste, but so meaningful. “There’s nothing I would love more than to accept your offer, Felicity.”

She smiles up at him knowingly. “But…?”

“I want to do this right.” He tells her. “I asked you out to dinner. We ate amazing food. We took a walk through the park. I gave you my jacket.” His hand pulls a strand of hair behind her ear. “I kissed you under the porch. Now I will tell you again that you’re very beautiful, and it’s been a wonderful evening. And I’ll bid you goodnight, hoping you’ll call me back soon.”

Felicity smiles at him. “Sounds perfect.” She stands on the tip of her toes, brushing her lips against his cheek, leaving a tiny smudge of red lipstick on it. “Goodnight, Oliver.” She pulls back from him, opens the door and walks inside. She turns around, a contented smile on her face.

“Goodnight, Felicity.” Oliver whispers.

The door closes, and for a few moments he stares at it, while on the other side Felicity leans against the frame.

Oliver turns back, headed to his car, when his phone starts to ring in his pocket. The smile widens on his face, as he picks up without looking at the caller. “I was hoping you’d call.”

Seconds pass and neither speaks a word. Both focused on listening to each other’s breath.

“So… How about tomorrow for our seventh date?” Felicity whispers into the phone.

Oliver smiles again. “Sounds perfect.”

→

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it. I'm always a little sad when I finish one fic, but I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it!
> 
> Again, thanks to everyone who took their time to comment and leave kudos, I really appreciate it!


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